I'm not going to rehash the Freddie Gray story ( you can google it if you don't know). I do want to take just a moment to express a concern about the public discourse around this case and where we are as society. Earlier this year, Officer Garrett Miller's trial ended in a hung jury and is scheduled to be re-tried this summer. Today, Officer Edward Nero was cleared of all charges in a bench trial presided over by Judge Barry Williams. The remaining officers are scheduled to stand trial in the coming months. With a highly publicized story such as this, it certainly makes for good people watching.
While discussing the Nero case with a friend of a "friend" over social media, I came to a realization. There are still so many things that are happening in plain view, that people simply wish to bury their heads about. It's sort of that idea of, "If it doesn't effect me, it doesn't matter". Now I know this is no great revelation. We know that many people would rather be willfully ignorant (I don't mean that negatively, just as a statement of fact), than to confront the hard truths of the world.
My partner in dialogue was of the firm belief that Nero should have been cleared of all charges. Her perspective, being muddied by poor logical, was essentially that the actions of the officer were justified, because the victim (Gray) was unruly. In this view, she eliminates an entire history of discrimination based ethnicity, nationality, race, sexual orientation, class, gender, sex and so many more than I can list here. Yes, I understand that I am taking a broad stroke. I do so intentionally. The definition of appropriate behavior has been defined largely by White, Cysgender Men. In the case of this woman, she has likely lived a life with many privileges afford to her by this history of discrimination. Of course she is subject to it as well, but it's a small price to pay. And so when that system privileges you, it is difficult to fight against it.
I can't began to unpack all of that at this time, but I just want to put the thought out there. Who are we becoming when we fail to stand up for what is right, because we are scared of losing our own position?
While discussing the Nero case with a friend of a "friend" over social media, I came to a realization. There are still so many things that are happening in plain view, that people simply wish to bury their heads about. It's sort of that idea of, "If it doesn't effect me, it doesn't matter". Now I know this is no great revelation. We know that many people would rather be willfully ignorant (I don't mean that negatively, just as a statement of fact), than to confront the hard truths of the world.
My partner in dialogue was of the firm belief that Nero should have been cleared of all charges. Her perspective, being muddied by poor logical, was essentially that the actions of the officer were justified, because the victim (Gray) was unruly. In this view, she eliminates an entire history of discrimination based ethnicity, nationality, race, sexual orientation, class, gender, sex and so many more than I can list here. Yes, I understand that I am taking a broad stroke. I do so intentionally. The definition of appropriate behavior has been defined largely by White, Cysgender Men. In the case of this woman, she has likely lived a life with many privileges afford to her by this history of discrimination. Of course she is subject to it as well, but it's a small price to pay. And so when that system privileges you, it is difficult to fight against it.
I can't began to unpack all of that at this time, but I just want to put the thought out there. Who are we becoming when we fail to stand up for what is right, because we are scared of losing our own position?