Quote:
Originally Posted by blueash
Perhaps because you are at home with media available and not at the locale where rumors swirl you make a more measured judgment. If you were in a town right next to Ferguson and heard that another black man had been shot by another white cop (even if those racial identities turned out to be wrong) you would be very angry. You will see this particular shooting disappear from the focus of the community once the videos are more widely seen. It was clearly a self defense shooting.
However that does not mitigate the question of whether we have a problem in this country with poor policing. This officer forgot to put on his camera? It is part of his required equipment or it is optional, I don't know which but I would expect that he is required to wear it.
One can support a strong and professional and well trained police force and simultaneously call for justice when people are killed by police. Justice does not mean conviction, justice means a full unbiased investigation and when appropriate trial. And call for a system where bad cops and rogue cops and racist cops are removed from their jobs. Just as one can support the military but vigorously protest against My Lai and Abu Ghraib. Just as one can love your kids but let them know when they make a mistake.
Even Fox News opinionators were surprised that the NY Grand Jury didn't indict in Garner's death, for something. What many seem to not understand is the appearance that the lives of black men mean nothing in our judicial system. Whether they are shot, choked, stopped while walking, driving, shopping, jogging or sitting in a park, they are suspected more than respected.
With that background I understand the sensitivity to the next and the next and the next shooting, whether justified or not.
|
It is just that so many black lives are heading toward that confrontation that saddens me. WHY? Both Garner and Brown had broken the law and both resisted arrest. PLEASE don't forget that. People who are insane are shot. Remember the young woman near the White House a few years back who tried to ram her car through the White House gates? She had her children in the car and they killed her. She was mentally ill and I couldn't tell you what color she was. That is how it IS, Blueash. People need to know WHEN to STOP. Stop means stop and messing with an armed police officer could get you very dead. THE LAW HAS to be respected. I don't think Garner or Brown had anything to do with RACE.
Blueash. Do you have any thoughts as to why so many young black men are suspected rather than respected?