Toddlers are the new representation of what it takes to become a thug.

A Nebraska toddler and three children were taken into protective custody after a disturbing video of the toddler using vulgar language went viral.

The Omaha Police Officers Association used one of many videos as an opportunity to poorly highlight violence and crime in communities in Nebraska.

Not only did the association make the inaccurate assumption that an infant is subject to becoming a part of a thug lifestyle, but the association also stereotyped the adults in the video based on their use of language.

It is immoral for the OPOA to exploit one family’s flaws to promote their political agenda.

According to CNN, while authorities found nothing criminal in the video, officials from the Omaha police’s Child Victim Unit and the Nebraska Child Protective Services removed the children on Jan. 8 on account of safety concerns. 

The African-American toddler responded to the obscenities thrown at him with an upraised middle finger and at one point told one of the adults, “Shut up, bitch.” The adults laughed and prompted him to repeat other crudities.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a thug as a brutal ruffian or assassin. The OPOA inaccurately assumed that the alleged family member filming the video was a ‘thug’ just as the association assumed the woman’s voice in the background was the toddler’s mother.

The 17-year-old mother of the toddler spoke to KETV in Omaha to address her child’s behavior and stated the language used was not typical of her son, nor does she allow it.

According to the OPOA website, the OPOA felt as though they have an “obligation to share it to continue to educate the law abiding public about the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in… we sure did see a lot that is flat out immoral….”

It is unethical for the OPOA to take a child away at such a young age, especially when their argument is built on a foundation of accusations and empty assumptions.

The video showed no relation to violence or crime in Omaha. It was solely a vulgar expression. Therefore, claiming that the toddler would attain a certain stereotypical lifestyle was wrong on the OPOA’s part and was simply an excuse to throw shame on minority communities.

The OPOA strives to achieve its goals by “promoting a high level of commitment to public safety and professionalism within the ranks of the OPD via an emphasis on education, legal support, community outreach and trust building,” according to the association’s website.

The group should focus more on outreach programs and education for youths and not what is posted to social networks, and certainly not what one 2-year-old has to say.

By doing so, the association’s goals will be successfully fulfilled to inner city youth. This then prevents the future crime and violence rates that are so heavily talked about.

Sgt. John Wells, the union’s president, said “Hopefully, the impact is, it gives law-abiding citizens what law enforcement deals with on a daily basis,” according to CNN. However, the video is just a small glimpse of what law enforcement could possibly deal with, and it shows no sign of violence or crime.

There are a myriad of videos online of toddlers using profane language, yet none of them get the vicious backlash that the OPOA has thrown upon this one family.

The OPOA took a video of a swearing African-American toddler with adults in the background to illustrate a cycle of crime and violence in one city. However, instead of antagonizing the adults in the video, there are bigger and more serious issues officials should steer their focus on.

–Chelsea Keyes is a sophomore communication major from Tacoma. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of Student Publications.