Do They Understand the Problem?

Today, we are in the aftermath of three horrific events. In Baton Rouge, a black man in front of a convenience store was accosted by police while following up on a call. The report involved someone who said a black man threatened them with a gun. Upon arrival they found the suspect who indeed had a pistol in his possession.

The suspect was tazed by both officers then taken to the ground. As he lay in his back, both officers were on top of him. They thought he was reaching for his gun when one officer shot the man three times in his chest. After a momentary pause, he shot the suspect three more times in the chest. Again this is while both officers we on top of the suspect.

In Falcon Heights, Minnesota a black male was pulled over by police in a traffic stop. The cause for stopping him was a defective or broken tail light. Two passengers were in the vehicle: his fiancé and her four year old daughter. His fiancé created a live stream of the event through her Facebook account. Unfortunately, the video began after the driver had been shot.

The police officer told the driver to produce his drivers license and registration. When the driver reached toward his right rear pants pocket, the officer drew his service pistol then shot the driver. His fiancé original narrated the video thinking the bullet struck the driver in his arm. The bullet entered his chest killing him at the scene, in the vehicle, and in front of the four year old child.

The last incident is the denouement. It possibly speaks to the uncertainty and confusion that may be gripping our community. In Dallas, at the end of a peaceful protest of the first two incidents, a shooter with an automatic rifle opened fire into the crowd of marchers. The outcome was the unfortunate death of five police officers and a host of other injured parties.

Cities all over the country have began to hold events to allow open discussion on these recent events. These events may be a start to helping our communities reconcile past and recent events. Each event appears to be arranged in good faith. It is my hope that this is the case. Despite the efforts, no reconciliation can be achieved unless there is mutual understanding of the issues we, as a country, face.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of our current state is the Black Lives Matter movement. The misperception is that their goal is to make Black and African American lives be deemed more important than the lives of other ethnicities. This could not be further from the truth.

The first time I heard the counter slogan “All lives matter” was during a CNN panel which included a politician. Specifically, a Republican Senator. He tried to spin the Black Lives Matter movement from inclusion to exclusion. It was his perspective that black lives should not be seen as more important than other races. The clear and compelling rebuttals that they sight inclusion fell on deaf ears. The explanations were based on policing data showed that blacks were more likely to experience fatal encounters with law enforcement.

A basis for the argument of inclusion is how Blacks are perceived by the majority. From the beginning of our heritage on American soil, the monicker of slave, subservient, and subhuman was attached to those of African descent. This view remains alive and active as evidenced by the disparity among black incarceration rates compared to other groups.

Some may argue that the country has moved beyond racism. Overtly, there may be some truth to this statement as seen by our African American President. But is this really true when a reporter states that “Obama” is coming to Dallas accompanied by Vice-President Biden and Former President Bush? She does not have enough respect to call him “President” Obama.

An opportunity for growth exist in understanding the perspective of the other party. I hear from other African Americans that a major problem is that white Americans do not view our concerns as important because this is not there experience. There is no arguing that experiential evidence can outweigh reported evidence. For instance, if you have never ridden a bicycle but only read about it, how can you teach me to ride? Each side must lead with understanding and an open heart. If we truly seek understanding, a pathway will open amidst the barriers that cause division.

Please seek to understand the issues common to others. Please open your mind to understand the perspective of others. Please work to bring reconciliation to our community and yours. These are my prayers for our country…

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