Baltimore Celebrates
The story of Freddie Gray, the young man who, by all accounts, was so violently mistreated by the police in Baltimore that he died, has captured the attention of many in cities across the United States. Sadly, had this been an isolated incident, it probably would not have garnered so much attention. The cycle of violence which turns victims into aggressors and turns aggressors into victims is one that I wrote about the other day when the news first went viral.
Yesterday Baltimore’s chief prosecutor and state attorney, Marilyn Mosby, made the announcement that charges were being filed against six police officers. The charges, all related to the arrest and treatment of Mr. Gray. The charges range from false imprisonment to involuntary manslaughter to second-degree murder.
The reaction throughout the United States from many who had been protesting this latest incident of alleged police brutality (Does not seem to be any doubt. but one still must use the word alleged at this stage of the proceedings.) was immediate. The word most often used in the accounts I read and heard described was one of celebration. All did not, as we know, share this reaction.
Within the context of the concept of retributive justice on which our judicial system is built (the belief that if we punish enough we will stop humans from mistreating each other or treating each other as objects), these charges make sense. On the other hand, as many of you know, I am not convinced that the retributive approach to justice works long term. I will not in this brief blog burden you again with my thinking on this subject. Instead I have one simple request.
My understanding and the experience of many I know is that we have continued in this country to selectively treat certain members of the community as objects or subjects who are inherently less deserving of dignified and respectful treatment. Freddie Greg was a young man who shared all the human qualities, which I have. The fact that this young man had been previously arrested and had apparently struggled to claim or reclaim that sacred child that his parents cradled and delighted in when he was born does not tell me much and is not important for this limited discussion. If we wanted to help Freddie Greg claim his core goodness and find his place at the table it was not going to be by mistreating him. He deserved our love, respect and help.
I also happen to believe that all six of the individuals who happened to be police officers deserve our love, respect and help. They are not just functionaries who got of control. They are six humans’ beings that parents cradled and loved when they were born (at least I hope so) and who continue to love and be loved. I do not know any of these six people but I hope to learn more about their hopes, dreams, pains, and delights in the days and weeks to come. The first step in opening my self to treating them as sacred is to acknowledge that they have names. They are: Caesar Goodson, Jr., William Porter, Brian Rice, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller, and Alicia White. They all have faces, hearts that beat, and can experience pain, fear and a whole range of emotions.
No matter what happens to these 5 men and one woman my fear is that we will either vilify and punish them or we will excuse their behavior. Obviously, what they are accused of doing has nothing to do with justice – even retributive justice. What they are accused of doing diminishes all of us. We cannot treat another human being with such disrespect and cruelty and expect the members of the community to be appreciative, be more law abiding and to embrace the members of law enforcement community.
Yes, we must hold each other accountable. We must acknowledge that if the law enforcement individuals who are also members of the community cannot embrace all members of the community than they have no place on any law enforcement team. Still, even if they are not able to do the job of a law enforcement person, they are still members of the community and must be embraced as such. We must also hold the rest of the members of the larger community accountable. It is not okay, in my eyes, to treat the representatives of the law enforcement community with such abject disrespect.
On both sides WE have created an US and THEM community. To me it is very understandable how we humans allow this to happen. We become tired, discouraged, hopeless, bitter and disconnected. That is a very terrible feeling. The question has to be how are we going to create a sense of hope; a sense of WE, which can build a community in, everyone counts; in which everyone is valuable.
Last evening over dinner with dear friends, on of them said to me, “You think everyone is good. You never think anyone is bad.” I had to honestly reply, “Yes, I believe all of we humans have an inner core of goodness. There are some of us whose brain and heart will not allow us to access that part of themselves. That does not make us a bad person. This may, in some instances, mean that some need to be in a closed, protective environment. Within that environment they need to be cherished.” Although I would hope that I would never treat anyone with just abject disrespect and cruelty as Mr. Greg was treated, I cannot put myself into the life experience of each of those individuals – Caesar, William, Brian, Edward, Garrett, and Alicia. While I would also hope that I would never be part of a riot, I cannot put myself in the life experiences of each of those who participated in the rioting and who might treat the accused police officer as objects to be thrown away. I do know that I have often acted unkindly, have treated others as objects, and have discovered racist thoughts and feelings which I had unwittingly picked up, and have discovered other prejudices within m which are just as ugly and unkind. In that sense I know that I am the one who could throw away these six individual just as the life of Freddie Gray was thrown away. I am the Freddie Gray who has struggled to find my purpose and my connection with a larger community.
The story of Freddie Gray, the young man who, by all accounts, was so violently mistreated by the police in Baltimore that he died, has captured the attention of many in cities across the United States. Sadly, had this been an isolated incident, it probably would not have garnered so much attention. The cycle of violence which turns victims into aggressors and turns aggressors into victims is one that I wrote about the other day when the news first went viral.
Yesterday Baltimore’s chief prosecutor and state attorney, Marilyn Mosby, made the announcement that charges were being filed against six police officers. The charges, all related to the arrest and treatment of Mr. Gray. The charges range from false imprisonment to involuntary manslaughter to second-degree murder.
The reaction throughout the United States from many who had been protesting this latest incident of alleged police brutality (Does not seem to be any doubt. but one still must use the word alleged at this stage of the proceedings.) was immediate. The word most often used in the accounts I read and heard described was one of celebration. All did not, as we know, share this reaction.
Within the context of the concept of retributive justice on which our judicial system is built (the belief that if we punish enough we will stop humans from mistreating each other or treating each other as objects), these charges make sense. On the other hand, as many of you know, I am not convinced that the retributive approach to justice works long term. I will not in this brief blog burden you again with my thinking on this subject. Instead I have one simple request.
My understanding and the experience of many I know is that we have continued in this country to selectively treat certain members of the community as objects or subjects who are inherently less deserving of dignified and respectful treatment. Freddie Greg was a young man who shared all the human qualities, which I have. The fact that this young man had been previously arrested and had apparently struggled to claim or reclaim that sacred child that his parents cradled and delighted in when he was born does not tell me much and is not important for this limited discussion. If we wanted to help Freddie Greg claim his core goodness and find his place at the table it was not going to be by mistreating him. He deserved our love, respect and help.
I also happen to believe that all six of the individuals who happened to be police officers deserve our love, respect and help. They are not just functionaries who got of control. They are six humans’ beings that parents cradled and loved when they were born (at least I hope so) and who continue to love and be loved. I do not know any of these six people but I hope to learn more about their hopes, dreams, pains, and delights in the days and weeks to come. The first step in opening my self to treating them as sacred is to acknowledge that they have names. They are: Caesar Goodson, Jr., William Porter, Brian Rice, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller, and Alicia White. They all have faces, hearts that beat, and can experience pain, fear and a whole range of emotions.
No matter what happens to these 5 men and one woman my fear is that we will either vilify and punish them or we will excuse their behavior. Obviously, what they are accused of doing has nothing to do with justice – even retributive justice. What they are accused of doing diminishes all of us. We cannot treat another human being with such disrespect and cruelty and expect the members of the community to be appreciative, be more law abiding and to embrace the members of law enforcement community.
Yes, we must hold each other accountable. We must acknowledge that if the law enforcement individuals who are also members of the community cannot embrace all members of the community than they have no place on any law enforcement team. Still, even if they are not able to do the job of a law enforcement person, they are still members of the community and must be embraced as such. We must also hold the rest of the members of the larger community accountable. It is not okay, in my eyes, to treat the representatives of the law enforcement community with such abject disrespect.
On both sides WE have created an US and THEM community. To me it is very understandable how we humans allow this to happen. We become tired, discouraged, hopeless, bitter and disconnected. That is a very terrible feeling. The question has to be how are we going to create a sense of hope; a sense of WE, which can build a community in, everyone counts; in which everyone is valuable.
Last evening over dinner with dear friends, on of them said to me, “You think everyone is good. You never think anyone is bad.” I had to honestly reply, “Yes, I believe all of we humans have an inner core of goodness. There are some of us whose brain and heart will not allow us to access that part of themselves. That does not make us a bad person. This may, in some instances, mean that some need to be in a closed, protective environment. Within that environment they need to be cherished.” Although I would hope that I would never treat anyone with just abject disrespect and cruelty as Mr. Greg was treated, I cannot put myself into the life experience of each of those individuals – Caesar, William, Brian, Edward, Garrett, and Alicia. While I would also hope that I would never be part of a riot, I cannot put myself in the life experiences of each of those who participated in the rioting and who might treat the accused police officer as objects to be thrown away. I do know that I have often acted unkindly, have treated others as objects, and have discovered racist thoughts and feelings which I had unwittingly picked up, and have discovered other prejudices within m which are just as ugly and unkind. In that sense I know that I am the one who could throw away these six individual just as the life of Freddie Gray was thrown away. I am the Freddie Gray who has struggled to find my purpose and my connection with a larger community.
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