Max Smith
Max Smith
Nov 6 · 2 min read

I agree with you Sherry. I think he had in mind the ‘type’ of people who lived there. And yes, it was just like Tamir rice with that 2-second trigger. Tragic isn’t even a word that can fully encapsulate what happened here. Unacceptable, inexcusable, fully preventable? All of those things. Something has to change and that includes laws, police training, police-community partnerships, and an overall willingness and openness to see each other as fully human and worthy of certain basic, fundamental rights and protections. When I hear of these incidents I always think, ‘What if you were to imagine that the person on the other side of the gun might be your child, your parent, your brother, sister, aunt. How would you act then?’ If you can control yourself and prevent yourself from over-reacting, or reacting prematurely — as certainly we see a majority of officers do when they’re interacting with other communities — then surely you can and should be able to maintain that control in this situation. There are so many videos online of P.O.’s being addressed in an aggressive and confrontational manner, being told off at times, even hit, by white citizens,and they refrain in those instances from killing, shooting, or even aggressively handling them. So, I think all most reasonable people want is equal treatment. If you can see the humanity in the next person and if it will not only prevent you from over-reacting, but cause you to extend yourself in a humane manner, then that is all we seek for all members of society. That’s a minimum, much less the responsibility of officers to serve and protect the community.

Division and inequity just makes it harder for us to live. It makes our society uglier, more brutal and more threatening all around. Wherever there’s life, there’s hope though. So, I suppose if enough of us want change badly enough, we will make it happen.

Thanks for sharing. It is good talking with you. Best,

Max Smith

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Max Smith

Motivated by social justice, equality, humanity. Using words to shed light, build bridges & narrow gaps. EthnicWriter.com | maxsandrox@gmail.com