My previous post was about my feelings following the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile by police officers this July while I was traveling with my friend Thulani. These events, coupled with Thulani's response (as a black man himself), left me unsure of what to do.
I am, in some ways, a concrete thinker, so analyzing facts and data can sometimes help in processing my emotions. The following video, from a YouTube creator whose principal topic is mathematics, helped me gain perspective on these two shootings and many more like them.
This video is by no means unbiased, but I think it does well in presenting these facts in a way that is not excessively hostile toward either side of the movement.
I knew about these events prior to watching the video, but it helped connect them in my mind. Making that connection is startling; putting all the events together makes it hard to ignore the trend.
The trend being:
"Black person shot by police"
"Largely unprovoked and uncalled for"
"Ruled a homicide"
"No indictments"
I have the concrete facts, and I can see the trend. I have the personal connection, and it provokes my emotion. I believe in the movement, but I'm still not sure about my part in it.
This video has a brief suggestion for white people. "Listen to black people. Talk to other white people." However, I think there's still more questions to answer, not to mention the question of whether a fellow white person is the best place to seek instruction on this matter.
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