Black and White

In my opinion, here is what a lot of people miss when issues like this occur on a fairly regular basis.

If everything were exactly equal except the color of the young people's skin, would this incident have even taken place?

Take everything that happened in Texas over the weekend. Everything:

• Neighbors from a gated community complain about non-residents using the pool
• A bunch of teenagers - maybe drunk, definitely full of attitude, start talking back
• An officer arrives on the scene with little information and is almost immediately confronted with a group of young men and women who certainly don't want him there and are possibly committed to loosely surrounding the officer and attempting intimidation.

But just change the race of the kids. Everything changes.

I grew up in the kind of community where this happened.  I have been in situations like this.  And I know for a fact how this situation would play out in my old neighborhood:

A white officer responds.  He's confronted with a bunch of white teenagers.  Teenagers he's used to dealing with on a daily basis, from speeding to drug use. He exits his car calmly and authoritatively.  Still, teenage testosterone-fueled attitude is lobbed in his direction.  A somewhat aggressive but calm counter salvo is lobbed back.  The snap on his holster is firmly kept in place.  Every single white teenager knows the snap on his holster will be kept in place.  The only concern from the kids is whether or not the cop is going to call their parents for jumping a fence.

But again, I grew up in that kind of community.  I have not been in a situation like this in Texas because I'm white.  However, I know for a fact how this situation - with different kids would play out in my old neighborhood.

A white officer responds.  He's confronted with a bunch of black teenagers.  Teenager's he's hardly ever dealt with and he's glad because he assumes that if he did, he'd be dealing with rapists and murderers. He exits his car with the snap already off his holster. He's tense and nervous.  He steps on the sidewalk ready for battle. Teenage  testosterone-fueled attitude is lobbed in his direction. At first he says nothing, but in his mind he already can see the sights of his Glock framing the largest male teenager's center-mass. An almost animalistic rage is lobbed back. His gun is drawn.  Every single black teenager knows the cop might draw a bead on their forehead. The only concern from the kids is whether they are going to be shot for jumping a fence.