The Black Lives Matter movement is very much in the news all over the world. Racism is a terrible thing, and if a policeman kills someone in the line of duty it needs to be investigated. But is that what is really happening in the US? I’d like to look at few aspects of the items reported in the media.
First, there is the problem of timing and selection. Why now? and why because of the death of this particular individual? Afro-Americans die violent deaths in America every day. What makes this specific incident worthy of such a massive outcry? Dozens of young Americans are killed / murdered every week in Chicago. Why didn’t one of those deaths cause such a massive reaction? It seems to me that there are likely to by complex motives behind the demonstrations and rioting. One is the frustration of all the public with the ongoing measures taken to control COVID-19. It’s obvious that the demonstrators are not worried about ‘social distancing, and only a minority in the clips I’ve been watching on TV do they bother to wear a face-mask. Then there is the political situation. America is moving toward a major election. Both political parties would like to put a spin on the events in order to gain some advantage with potential voters this November. But the ugliest part of the rioting came at the start when people engaged in vandalism and looting. Everything else took second place to the opportunity to steal things. This aspect seems to have dissipated over time, but it ws certainly a major contributor to the early demonstrations. It is also the biggest objection I have to what I’ve seen. Greedy individuals jumped at the chance to grab anything of value. Some took shoes in sizes that obviously were not their own. Perhaps they intended to sell them? Whatever the reason, an anti-racism demonstration should never be an excuse for breaking other laws, causing injury to others, or destroying or damaging other property.
The specific case raises other problems. In the normal course of an investigation by law-enforcement over the killing of someone by one of their officers all the niceties of preserving the civil rights of the perpetrator must be observed. There were people out on the streets well before there could have been any statements issued by an investigating body. Here, too, the possibilities of trying to get a political advantage loom large in the list of likely motivations for such conduct. I am also left wondering why onlookers, including the other police officers and an EMT, did not try to intervene more forcefully. But that is something I am willing to wait to hear about when the mandatory investigations (and trials) are complete.
From a personal point of view, and I have been personally involved in quelling more than one confrontation caused by racism, the assurance that the specific incident will be dealt with fairly, and without bias of any kind, has always been the most successful way to handle such cases. If such assurances are given then anyone who continues to riot becomes suspected of motivations external to the matter at hand. I found this true whether I was dealing with violence between whites and blacks on a US Navy ship, or between Jews and Arabs on the streets of Ramallah.
Wetherhorn 