<|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|>While specific incidents involving police violence – from the killing of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO, to the death of Eric Garner on Staten Island – have been highlighted in protests all over the country since the summer, some commentators have attempted to contextualize<wm> police misconduct as nothing more than an “exacerbation of the problem.” This is a simplistic view of the issue, implying that those involved should stand up for themselves or else face further consequences. However, this perspective is not sufficient and offers insufficient support and acknowledgment of the structural issues that are driving these deaths.
What does it take for a societal change in policing practices to be successful?
Here are some points to support and counter the simplistic view that police misconduct is a case of exculpatory actions</wm> by individuals rather than systemic injustices: 

In a country divided by racial tensions and socio-economic differences