Dealing With Police Shootings

For John, BLUF:  Changes needed on all sides.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Law Professor Ann Althouse, who lives and works in Madison, Wisconsin commented here on an article in The Wisconsin State Journal about the Madison Police shooting and killing a young Black Man.  The article is "Morning after:  Anger, grief spill into Madison streets".  She excerpts these paragraphs:

“If you want me to be poised and patient and polite, you’re not getting that today,” said [Kaleem Caire, former head of the Urban League of Greater Madison and founder of One City Early Learning Center], his voice rising with passion.  “When you walk out of here today I don’t want to have unity, I want to have action.  I want to have purpose.  I’m tired of holding hands. Hold these babies’ hands.”

Caire said his anger grew in recent days as he heard about the gang-related shooting last Saturday outside West Towne Mall and then about another man firing shots at police officers Friday on the Southwest Side.

“When these boys shot up that mall, I wanted to round them up and give them an old-fashioned butt whuppin’,” he said.  “I am dead serious.  You can’t come into this city and do this mess. But we don’t tell our kids this.  Our own people don’t do enough for our kids.  We sit back and let tragedy strike.”

I think that Mr Kaleem Caire has an interesting take on this issue.  It is not an excuse for the police shooting, but it is a call for being careful out there.  Young men are notorious risk takers and less likely to show deference to authority.  Not just young Black men in the Ghetto.  Also young Cucasian men at the various Service Academies.♠

A young man has to know his limitations, but he also has to have a sense that his existing is going somewhere, that he has a purpose.

Hat tip to Ann Althouse.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I remember going out in the middle of the night and changing the tail flash on a static display F-106 to be the same as our squadron's sponsor unit.  We designed it and fabricated it and then stuck it to the vertical stabilizer.  A couple of times cadets moved the X-4, which was a feat, since the nose had to be raised to drop the tail to get it under a girder.  Why?  To show off and to irritate the hierarchy.