The Murky Waters of Mass Gun Violence
Death, Demonstrations, More Death and More Demonstrations
As late as Sunday evening, demonstrations against the murder of Alton Sterling by Police Officers, continued in Baton Rouge with the number of detained activists increasing to more than 160. According to the Associated Press, 30 to 40 individuals had been detained on Sunday alone. Marches and protests have been going on continuously since Friday, July 8th.
It has been less then a week since the nation and world first learned about the shooting death of Alton Sterling. Sterling was shot multiple times by Baton Rouge Police Officers on Tuesday July 5th, after the BAPD had received a call from a homeless man that a man [Sterling] had brandished a firearm.
Two officers responded to the call and the altercation with police was recorded by two separate bystanders positioned in different locations. The videos clearly show Mr. Sterling being confronted, tackled and ultimately shot dead by the officers on the scene. One of the videos was posted to Instagram and the story became national headline news shortly thereafter.
In the days that followed, the nation became witness to yet another shooting of a black man by a Police Officer in Falcon Heights a community outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooting death of the Minnesota native, Philando Castile, was broadcast live on Facebook when Mr. Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, recorded a live video of the immediate aftermath.
The video recorded the death of Mr. Castile and ultimately the incarceration of Ms. Reynolds, all while Ms. Reynolds 4 year old daughter remained in the back seat of the vehicle. The violently graphic video chilled the nation, even prompting attention during the Congressional hearing on Wednesday with FBI Director James Comey when, after questioning the Director, Senator Elijah Cummings (D) MD, interjected by saying he had woken up ‘to his wife crying’ as she reacted to the shooting of Mr. Castile. He went on to say to Director Comey:
“I am a lawyer. And I know how important police are, and I know there’s so many great folks, but, Mr. Director, if you do nothing else in your 2,000-plus days left, you have got to help us get a hold of this issue. It is so painful.”
Demonstrations spread throughout the nation in reaction to the deaths of Mr. Sterling & Mr. Castile, some lead by the well known Black Lives Matter activists, others lead by rapper Snoop Dog, and still others mere collections of a patchwork of Americans furious about the rash of gun violence the nation has been plagued by and now emotionally moved by the very real, very violent and live feed of the death of Mr. Castile and his girlfriend’s ordeal.
Thursday Night, only hours after the viscous footage of Mr. Castile’s death had been released, the nation was rocked once again by another mass shooting — this time in Dallas, Texas. Black Lives Matters organizers marched peacefully though the streets of Dallas on Thursday afternoon, when toward the end of the organized march a barrage of gun shots rang out. Protesters, bystanders & law enforcement scattered & media outfits covering the march soon modified their stance to cover the ensuing melee. The shooting would eventually leave five Dallas officers dead and several other civilians and officers injured.
Protests have been ongoing over the weekend and while the movement picks up momentum, the very zeitgeist of the nation is being tested. Police departments throughout the country are stepping up security measures and are having to respond to ever growing crowds of activists in cities across the country: Atlanta, Memphis, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Rochester, New York City and of course, Minneapolis & Baton Rouge.
Perhaps the most charged scenes played out Saturday evening in Baton Rouge & Minneapolis where thousands marched in defiance of the latest Police Shootings of black men within their respective communities. Marches in Baton Rouge led to more than 100 arrests including that of DeRay Mckesson, a well known Black Lives Matter activist, while in Minneapolis groups of armed police gassed and sprayed demonstrators with pepper spray.
Marches that formed around the nation have been primarily peaceful, however the unexpected nature of the movement has revealed inadequacies within some of the lesser equipped and poorly trained police forces. At its worst, it has shown some less flexible departments infringing on the civil liberties of demonstrators and the press; at times even instigating participants. Saturday evening, in Rochester, two black journalists were arrested while simply reporting on the protests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ivLp4FhtoM
More protests are expected to continue around the nation, as President Obama returns from a tour of Europe. According to reports, The President has made plans to visit Dallas upon his return. Further, there is speculation that the President will also make trips to Minneapolis & Baton Rouge in the wake of the tragic shootings which has directly impacted each of the communities.
While meeting Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Madrid, President Obama did comment on the violence occurring stateside, saying with regards to the shooting in Dallas:
“Whenever those of us who are concerned about fairness in the criminal justice system attack police officers, you are doing a disservice to the cause,”
While the nation tries to recover from the attack in Dallas and the tragic deaths of Alton Sterling & Philando Castile, it will look to the President to provide solace, unity, healing and direction through these murky waters. A witness to more mass shootings than any sitting president, he has been here several times during his two terms.
The President has shared the very heavy burden of lax firearm laws and the ever increasing frequency of mass shootings. He will, no doubt, draw on these latest tragedies to help escalate the debate for common sense gun control that has been blocked by the Republican lead Congress. It is a debate that is desperately needed so that the nation can begin to mend these very raw wounds and to avoid future carnage.