By Jonathan Moniz, Staff Writer
Another teen killed by a cop. And even though he was unarmed, this is just another unfolding chapter to the tragedy that is America’s problem with race.
However, there are never any easy answers, nor anything really to push forward to with race.
I don’t really know what to think, after so many times of this happening and so much debate revolving around it with pundits, social activists, leaders of their communities, and more to come forward and speak.
This killing is bad – it has created a lot of problems. But is there any way to move forward in a way that solves the issue, that addresses the problems inherent at its core?
I frankly don’t know. I don’t have much of the answers here.
And to be honest, since most of the problem with racism is caused by systemic issues, maybe it can’t be fixed if the system continues the way it is.
Maybe it will just not quite ever make sense.
Inherent social inequality amongst different people is a large problem, furthermore compounded by an inherently destabilizing culture of police brutality.
It makes no sense for so many to be suffering from something like police violence. But just look at the way this case played out to get a sense of the endemic symptoms that plague our nation if you don’t believe me:
Turning from a home invasion raid, police see Ramarley Graham going into his apartment he shares with his mother and little sibling.
They follow him in and pursue him into a bathroom, where they ask him to turn around with his hands up.
The officer then pulls the trigger, because apparently Graham shoved his hands into his pockets.
The officer suspected he had a gun and shoots him, fearing for his own life. However, the teen had nothing and he was found later to be unarmed.
His sibling watched as his brother was shot.
And that got me to thinking: I wonder what they thought. How did they see this all play out? How this will affect them?
I do not mean to underestimate any lives, but through the perspective of that bystander, his little brother, how must it mean to have watched your older brother get shot and die right in front of you? How do you react to that? What do say?
Being completely honest, again, I have no particular ideas.
I don’t know what to say, nor when to say it. I don’t even have the right idea of what this kid’s life will be like.
What can be said for sure is this: America has a race problem, and it’s up to us as a society to fix it.