The tragedies of this week–two African American males shot and killed by police without just cause in Louisiana and Minnesota–and the murder of five law enforcement personnel and wounding of seven others in Dallas, Texas during a peaceful demonstration against those incidents—are a shock to the nation, and one thing MUST be made very clear!
All lives matter, not just black lives, but white lives, Latino lives, Asian American lives, Native American lives, and “Blue Lives”, that of the law enforcement professionals who dedicate their lives to protection of all of us, but in so doing, face possible bodily harm and death every day.
We can be angry at law enforcement when it abuses its power and takes the lives of people who are no threat to them, but realize that the number of such cases, while seemingly too many, is still a miniscule number of cases as compared to the total number of good law enforcement people who get very little recognition or appreciation for the important work they do every day.
This is a time of sober reflection, and the hope that we can work to unite the nation, and not allow race baiting villains of any race to further incite violence.
This also requires politicians to stop provoking, but already being shown to be occurring, as with former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani, and many right wing talk show hosts, who should understand the impact of their words, but still are reckless and demagogic!
Professor,
It’s a week like this past one that I think the gap widens instead of closes when it comes to race. When you see Black and Blue, you see bruising.
Perhaps instead of benign neglect almost 50 years ago, there should have been a better strategy. Perhaps the answer is somewhere between the left’s guilt and the right’s astigmatism about race along with a dash of entitlement thrown in the mix has been a recipe for the dish the country is now forced to digest.
What you say, Paul, makes total sense!
It sounds like the Dallas killer was radicalized. http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/10/us/micah-johnson-dallas-radicalized-online/index.html
Another shooting. This time at a courthouse in Michigan. Two bailiffs were killed. http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/11/us/michigan-courthouse-shooting/index.html
Everything that’s going on in the news reminds me of what my parents grew up with on the news in the 1960’s.
Another revenge police shooting today. http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/17/us/baton-route-police-shooting/index.html
Just like the Dallas killer, the Baton Rouge killer had gotten into conspiracy theories and hate groups online.
Right-wing media’s response to the police deaths in Baton Rouge was to blame Obama. http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/07/17/right-wing-media-s-response-police-deaths-baton-rouge-blame-obama/211626
They’d somehow blame Obama if he singlehanedly cured cancer.