Zendaya Has A Message For Trump And People Who Joke About Police Brutality

Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America, but he's also the President of Saying Extremely Inappropriate Sh*t. Because Donald Trump is always on a Donald Trump roll, he made a pretty eyebrow-raising statement to police in New York about how they should handle their suspects. It has people, including Zendaya, upset about his light approach to the police brutality issue.

During a speech made to police officers in Long Island, New York, Donald Trump encouraged them to not be "too nice" to suspects, according to ABC News.

Trump said,

When you guys put somebody in the car and you're protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over? Don't hit their head, and they just killed somebody — don't hit their head ... I said, you can take the hand away, okay? I have to tell you… the laws are so horrendously stacked against us, because for years and years, they've been made to protect the criminal. Totally made to protect the criminal. Not the officers. You do something wrong, you're in more jeopardy than they are.

On Monday, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was asked about his statements, and confirmed that Donald Trump wasn't serious about wanting police to hurt people.

She said,

I believe he was making a joke at the time.

Singer and actress Zendaya caught wind of the press secretary's clarifications and wanted to make a few of her own.

Plain and simple. Police brutality has been a national conversation for several years because of its negative impact, which affects people of color at more disproportionate rates. Tragic deaths have occurred that have sparked these conversations and concerns. Families have been changed and broken up forever. Spouses, kids, and other loved ones are still mourning people they believe they have lost due to police brutality.

Even police who actually do their job right are burdened by this because they have to go into communities and interact with people who don't trust them on a regular basis. To joke about police brutality in even a small way is a disservice to both civilians and officers who are trying to overcome it. It's never a comical conversation.

And Zendaya isn't the only one who isn't here for Donald Trump's supposed "joke."

Thomas Manger, the Montgomery County Police Chief, Thomas Manger, shared his thoughts about Donald Trump's statements.

He said,

Talking about police brutality, it's not a joking matter. In this day and age, police departments all over this country are trying to combat a national narrative that I think is not accurate in terms of the professionalism of the police and the way that police are doing their job day in and day out. And, so, we understand that with every interaction we have with the public, we've got to prove ourselves.

He continued,

When folks make jokes about police behaving poorly, police behaving unlawfully, I guess I don't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to that.

Moral of the story (not to make the assumption that Donald Trump cares about morals or anything...):

Nobody wins when you joke about a situation that has sparked fear, stress, and grief in everyone involved. Instead of making light of police brutality, the president of the United States should be the one leading the charge to end it.