Fear Is Not Public Safety

Guest Opinion by Keith O. Williams

Alabama is at a crossroads — not just politically, but morally.

In recent days, rhetoric surrounding law enforcement, immigration, and political power has grown louder, harsher, and more dangerous. Statements from public figures seeking the highest offices in our state have crossed a line from debate into division. At the same time, legislation and political posturing increasingly frame public safety as something achieved through fear rather than trust.

I am running for the Alabama State House of Representatives as an independent because I believe Alabama deserves better than that false choice.

This issue is not abstract for me. It is personal.In 2013, during a traffic stop in Chesterfield County, Virginia, I nearly lost my life at the hands of law enforcement. An officer nearly ran me off the road. When I was stopped, before I could even reach for my credentials, a gun was pointed at me. I was surrounded by deputies, terrified that one wrong movement — even blinking — could cost me my life.I complied. Fully.And it still wasn’t enough.I was subjected to tests, handcuffed, jailed, and treated like a criminal despite having done nothing wrong. That experience fundamentally changed how I understand power, fear, and the fragile line between safety and harm.

Years later, while relaxing in my own home, a detainee escaped police custody in my area. Law enforcement flooded my neighborhood. One officer approached me with his hand on his gun. I froze. In that moment, compliance wasn’t a comfort — it was a gamble.

These experiences are not isolated. They are shared quietly by many, especially people of color, working-class individuals, and those who live at the intersections of vulnerability and visibility. They are why phrases like “just comply” ring hollow. They are why “compliance wasn’t good enough” is not a talking point — it’s a warning.

Public safety cannot be built on fear.When political leaders suggest that force should be unquestioned, when lawmakers frame accountability as hostility, and when candidates campaign on “law and order” without acknowledging the humanity on both sides of the badge, trust erodes. And once trust is gone, no amount of enforcement can replace it.This is not anti-law enforcement. In fact, it is pro-accountability — for everyone.

Good officers deserve leadership that values de-escalation, transparency, and constitutional boundaries. Communities deserve leaders who understand that safety is a partnership, not a threat. And our state deserves lawmakers who know the difference between strength and intimidation.

The Alabama Legislature plays a critical role in shaping this balance. It works with the Governor. It sets the tone for what behavior is acceptable, what rights are protected, and whose voices matter. When that tone becomes reckless, the consequences ripple outward — discouraging civic participation, silencing voters, and destabilizing communities.

I am deeply concerned about a future where fear-based leadership dominates Alabama politics. Not because I distrust my neighbors, but because I know what happens when power is exercised without humility.

That is why my campaign is grounded in a simple framework: Accountability, Community Engagement, and Transparency (ACT).

Accountability means no one — including law enforcement or elected officials — operates above the law.

Community Engagement means public safety is built with communities, not imposed on them.

Transparency means trust is earned through consistent, lawful action — not rhetoric.

As an independent candidate for District 55, I am not beholden to party narratives that prioritize winning arguments over solving problems. I am accountable to people — the elderly on fixed incomes, young workers juggling multiple jobs, families navigating fear and uncertainty, and communities who want to be seen, heard, and respected.

Alabama’s future does not have to be one of division and distrust. But it will require courage — not the loud kind, but the steady kind. The kind that listens. The kind that protects rights. The kind that understands that a state governed by fear eventually becomes ungovernable.

I am running to help choose a different path.

Not left.

Not right.

But forward — together.

Keith O. Williams will face incumbent Travis Hendrix in Alabama House District 55 in the General Election on November 3, 2026. For more about his campaign, visit his Facebook page.

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