Shaquille O’Neal believes that if you don’t want to get shot by police, you should be respectful.
The former Baller sat down with Esquire, who asked about his admiration for police officers and how he can heal the divide between officers and members of the community.
“One way to bridge the divide is for the media not to portray it as “all.”All police ain’t bad, just like all athletes ain’t bad. Just like all guys in your line of business ain’t bad,” said Shaq. “We all have the letter of the law to follow. And if you don’t follow that, it shouldn’t always be a reflection of who you work for or who you’re with. Are there some bad policemen? Of course. Guaranteed there are. And hopefully they’re tried and brought to justice.”
Shaq also says that sometimes you have to understand that people can be stuck in their ways and the best way to avoid conflict is by being respectful.
“When I get stopped by the cops, I’m not worried. And it has nothing to do with being Shaq. You know why? I show respect. “Yes, sir. No, sir.” That’s how I was taught. Doesn’t matter if it’s a black guy, white guy, whatever. I’m not going to make it uncomfortable for you, because I don’t want it uncomfortable for me. There’s not going to be any talking back—none of that.”
He says he was taught this line of thinking from his father who was a drill sergeant. “One time the police were messing with us, and I disrespected them. Oh, that was the worst thing I could have ever done. My father grabbed me by my collar, tugged me back, and said, “Don’t you ever disrespect these men. They’re here to protect us. You listen to them. You say, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir.’ And if he’s not right, if he’s doing stuff out of spite, just obey the letter of the law. Then you come and see me, and I’ll handle it.” So from that day on, I didn’t disrespect the police anymore.”
Shaquille O’Neal, a reserve police officer, makes some valid points but I also feel like he’s missing some very important things in his thought process. Unfortunately, many police officers are not being held accountable for their wrong doings, which is what is causing the issues we are seeing now. Also, there are often times when a person is being respectful and are still finding themselves being shot and killed by police officers. Lastly, of course no cop is going to give one of the most recognizable faces in sports a problem. Everyone isn’t Shaquille O’Neal.
You can read the full interview HERE.
