Thoughts Upon The Deaths of Sterling, Castile, and Others

This article was originally published in July 2016, almost four years ago. All portions now in bold font are added to update this article for current events. I mention the original post date, because of current reactions in our community to a new video that has emerged of what appears to be Ahmaud Arbery walking around a construction site allegedly moments before he was killed. Some are suggesting that those who have cried out for justice for Ahmaud will have to scramble to "justify" this new evidence. I will not have to make such an adjustment, and I think many who have been asking for justice have felt the same as I have felt for some time concerning the death of men of color under circumstances that do not warrant killing. I present to you now my thoughts from 2016 to demonstrate how I have felt for some time and will add my thoughts to current events at the conclusion of this post.

From July 2016:

43 year old Eric Garner is killed by law enforcement when he is placed in an illegal chokehold on July 17, 2014. His infraction, selling cigarettes illegally. 

What I repeatedly saw over the following days:

The bottom line: If this man were not breaking the law in the first place, this would never have happened. 

This is a bad bottom line. I personally have broken the law on several occasions, many times while having a gun in my possession, and I have never once felt like my life was in danger, even in the presence of law enforcement. 

Let me be clear. I do not under any circumstance condone my past behaviors. Having said this, I have never deserved death for any earthly law I have broken.

For example, (in times past) I have broken the law several times while hunting, either by hunting without a proper license or by hunting over the limit (I no longer participate in such actions, by the way). There have even been times while hunting illegally that I have been stopped by law enforcement, gun in clear view. 

As I saw law enforcement approach, I hid the evidence of my criminal activity, not because I was afraid of the officers, but because I didn't want to pay a fine. I got away with it too. Many times, it even felt like a game, and I have heard many other hunters brag about their run-ins too. Even if I had been caught, my worst fear was the chance of a huge fine, never death. 

Hunting a federally protected bird without proper documentation is every bit as illegal as selling cigarettes without a license. Yet, I was never approached in a hostile manner. The officer did his job, and did not find my infraction. If I had for some reason been killed in this altercation, my fault would have been found, and I am willing to bet not many people would have said, "Oh, well...He shouldn't have broken the law." 

Certainly, no one should ever feel above the law, and we should all expect repercussions if we fail to obey, despite any sense of injustice for being detained, but in many situations, death is unwarranted, despite laws being broken. Bottom line. 

Why is it that I have never been afraid, I wonder. Am I too naive. Or was my assumption that I would only be fined at very worst correct? What makes me different from Garner. I think it's obvious. 

July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling is shot several times at point blank range while being pinned down by two male police officers. While his gun was in his pocket, he was killed for allegedly posing a threat to police. During the video, it is clear that Sterling did not have his weapon in his hand. His only visible infraction was resisting police. 

What I have repeatedly seen over the past few days:

The bottom line: Be respectful. Do not resist any of law enforcement's commands. 

This is a decent bottom line, but again, it is not a line that justifies death. Just like my willingness to break laws, I have felt justified in being obstinate before a police officer. 

In college, I was pulled over for illegally passing in a turning lane. It was late. I was heading home after hanging out with some of my friends and was pulled out in front of by a driver who was either drunk or just a jerk. The driver was weaving and braking in front of me erratically. I decided I should go around and got in the turning lane several hundred feet before I should have. 

The police officer (a black officer) pulled me over. I did not even give him time to speak before I was out of my car yelling about how he let the other driver get away. I never once showed an ounce of respect for him, and remained belligerent until he left. I could have easily been said to have been acting threatening. 

He just rolled his eyes at me and gave me my ticket. If he had cuffed me, I would have deserved it. Not once did I ever consider my life in danger. Not once. I felt free to be a colossal jackass.  

Certainly we should all give the police force the high respect they deserve for doing a job that benefits us all, even while putting their lives on the line, but being a jerk does not justify being killed by another. 

Why did I feel free to behave in such a way without any since of threat? I felt I had the privilege to do so. And I got away with only a ticket that I latter was able to have dismissed. Why am I any different from Sterling? I think it's obvious.

On the following day, July 6, 2016, Philando Castile is shot several times and dies during a routine traffic stop. According to his girlfriend, who was also in the car, Castile informed officers that he was a licensed carrier and had a gun in his possession. As he reached for his wallet the officer panicked and shot Castile several times. 

What I have seen today:

Bottom line: Anyone with a gun should expect an altercation with the police. It makes them uncomfortable. 

This of course applies as well with the Sterling case. Perhaps gun possession does have such ramifications, but this is a debate to be had in the realm of gun control, not justified police shootings. If we as a nation are willing to say it is a RIGHT to possess a firearm, then the presence of such an arm is lawful and should have no bearing in any case, unless the gun is clearly being used in a threatening manner. 

Again, I am a gun owner. I have never felt like this has put me in any danger with the law, because I have a right to my weapon. It has no bearing on my activity, lawful or otherwise, unless I am using it in an unlawful manner.

I have been pulled over and stopped with a weapon in my possession, but I never felt afraid. Why am I any different from Castile? I think it's obvious.

Final thoughts:

In so many cases, not even these arguments can apply. But, many are so willing to try to assign guilt  to the victims, because we can't understand why it should be any other way. It is hard to think things like this can happen, but they do. We cannot ignore this any longer

Over my lifetime, I have considered myself a conservative. Today, however, it is the conservative voices that are stinging the most. I am not betraying the conservative community by looking clearly at these situations and calling them, at least in light of the given arguments, unjust. There are justifiable reasons for law enforcement to use deadly force at times, but these arguments are not those reasons. Don't blindly fight against something that could be used against your worldview, just because it is used as such. Be willing to be thoughtful and nuanced. Decide conservatively, because you believe it is right. Don't decide what is right because it is labeled the conservative view. 

Also, I highly respect our officers. We can call individuals and systemic issues out without betraying our well deserved respect for police.

Having said all of this, I still feel relatively safe today, not despite our police. I still don't feel threatened as many in the black community do. I am privileged in this way. I honestly can't imagine what it must feel like not to have this security, and I do regret this.

On February 23, 20202, Ahmaud Arbery walks into a construction zone and looks around. All news reports say that he did not steal anything at the time. Guess what? Yep, you guessed it. I have done this exact same thing. It is sort of an unwritten rule that no one is going to freak out if a person wants to see a home under construction. I have done it, and have not never felt as if I had done anything wrong. I have even been looking about when a member of the construction crew has showed back up. He did not even bat an eye. I was not chased down by citizens who felt that they were the judge, jury, and executioner. Why am I any different from Arbery? I think it is obvious.

If you think this was a crime...

Let me say this to the Christian community in particular and to Americans in general. It is from the Judeo-Christian foundation of thought upon justice that we have established the ideals of allowing punishment to fit the crime, that no cruel and unusual punishment shall be permitted for any crime. The Scripture applies the code: "An eye for an eye" in the OT. This is because, in this time, ancients often thought crime should be met with a more severe punishment to teach a lesson. Steal from me, and I not only come after you, but I cut your child's hands off. The Bible's law code of an eye for an eye softened the measure of the time by saying the punishment should fit the crime. For a nation, that is still a fairly good rule. Yet, for Christians, Jesus says that while we have heard the Scripture say "an eye for an eye," He commands of His people even more mercy. "When struck on the cheek, turn the other." 

Do not be one of these people who say, "Well, you play with fire, you get burned." That is not who we are. Have the mind of Christ. He was not just being idealistic. He was telling us what God's heart asks of us. 

I am still not convinced Arbery did anything wrong, but, even if he had, the punishment by vigilantes was extreme, cruel, and unjustifiable. I did not have to "come up" with this as a justification. I have felt this way for some time, and many who have been calling out for justice have likewise been of this mind for some time.