Sean
Many people have chosen to focus on race as the issue of Sean Bells death. Do I believe that race played some part in the excessive use of police force, irrevocable the answer is yes. It is of no consequence that two of the three officers charged were also the same race as Mr. Bell, racism was still part of the equation. I do not believe that had this same situation occurred on the east side of Manhattan, with a group of white male friends, would it have required 50 shots to stop the assailants.
However, the greater issue at hand is the excessive use of force by the New York police department. Black people at large are instinctively mistrustful of police and with good reason. The benefit of the doubt is never given to people of color, time after time our cell phones are mistaken for guns. Are people of color the only people that carry cell phones, I seriously doubt it.
How and when does it change. For now my heart is hurt at the hypocrisy of it all. Michael Vick was sent to prison, lost all potential to earn a living for dog fighting, DOG FIGHTING. This man lost his life with no justice being served in the court of justice. This unfortunately is still the state of race relations in America, when a dog’s life is worth more than a black man’s.
Post a Comment