Twenty-one years ago, the NYPD brass introduced a new policy to its officers, banning the use of chokeholds due to growing concerns of the number of deaths among apprehended suspects. Then-Chief of Police John Timoney released a statement at the time that perfectly summed up why these acts were banned.

“We are in the business of protecting life, not taking it,” Chief Timoney said. “The bottom line of the whole thing is that if somebody is emotionally disturbed and they really need police help, we should render it in the most humane and professional way possible.”

In the last few weeks, however, trust in this very oath has taken a nosedive.

After failure to indict the officers involved in the tragic deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, a swath of protesters has risen up and erupted into city streets over the last few weeks; protesters that have held marches, worn shirts, written songs, performed poetry, staged “die-ins”, looted stores, burned towns, and have instigated a state of bedlam across American inner-cities. That’s a busy month for the U.S. of A.

The question now becomes, what is too much in expressing our distress? Where do we draw the line, as a society that holds a powder-keg mentality with social issues such as these?

Emotion is obviously to be expected, but we as citizens need to check ourselves before we wreck an entire town. The riots following the Michael Brown announcement were appalling, and left many businesses crippled, buildings in ruin, and police vehicles an emasculated heap of burnt metal.

While the nation is certainly allowed to voice its unrest, the protests should be inciting debate both on a local and federal level, not pillaging towns and cities. The headlines and attention span of the public has, as it usually does during a major social crisis, diverted from the issue itself to the destruction caused in reaction to the problem. Instead of citizens reaching out to local officials about law enforcement not being either humane or professional, the public has decided to emanate bad taste and human indecency as if it were going out of style.

The actions of a few fallible protesters among the swath have left the entire group accountable, as well. Even the more peaceful protests have been criticized, such as local legendary basketball star Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers team that donned ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-Shirts before Tuesday night’s game. In his post-game press conference, Bryant made a few great points on the issue.

“It’s important that we have our opinions,” said Bryant. “It’s important that we stand up for what we believe in and we all don’t have to agree with it, and it’s completely fine. That’s what makes this a beautiful country.”

As a celebrity persona advocating peace, Bryant has been lending his voice to help guide the tension in a productive direction. While he has staunchly stated his stance that “the system allows young black men to be killed under the mask of law,” he has also called for a change in the legal system — not riots.

Bryant has been criticized for his standpoints by some because, as a child born in decadence, he does not understand poverty, or the struggle just was/is not real enough for an athlete that has made millions of dollars over the last decade. These ludicrously ignorant statements only perpetuate the real problem- that people are too quick to jump to conclusions in these issues.

When faced with a situation that has spread anger and sadness like wildfire, such as the shooting of Michael Brown and the asphyxiation of Eric Garner, it is the responsibility of us as citizens to respond correctly. Let us partake in protests that help exemplify human beings coming together in support of other human beings, not in the desolation of other people’s lives out of agitation.