Shadow of the Future

It has taken until now to figure out what to say about last night’s verdict. Here it goes: I live in a country that tells young black men, because people can’t control their fears and prejudices you have to find a way to be less scary. If you are being followed, then you must find a way to demonstrate that you are not a threat. If an armed man stalks you--- do not confront him in any way. If you are lucky or strong enough to get the jump on your would be attacker you must wait until he actually strikes you. Yes, I know that sounds crazy but, even if you are not doing anything wrong and the other person has a gun, you will be seen as the aggressor. If you are killed you will be murdered both in body and in spirit. No matter what it will be shown that you are just as scary as your murderer thinks you are—even if you are not. If you are followed by a man of another race or ethnicity there are places where reasonable suspicion of an attack, or flat out self-defense will not work for you and you will not be alive to tell your side of the story.  It is similar to the lesson we tell our girls. Young women must learn not to be raped because there are too many men who can’t control themselves. The fact that the “he/she was asking for it” defense works in either of these cases makes me sick—but I am not at all surprised that it does. Still, I have to believe that it can be different. I have to believe that I can live in the country of my ideals, where our institutions work to protect the values of liberty, equality and justice. Even if they don’t work that way now, I have to believe it because it is far too painful, hurtful and depressing to believe otherwise.