Bad judgement is no excuse for using 23 shots to hit a human being in the back 12 times. There is no way the Riverside police or anyone else can justify or rationalize such negligence. I truly believe that race relations in America have positively changed in the last 20 years. I do not believe that racism is at the heart of every tragedy that blacks experience. However, I do not believe that America is a color-blind society nor do I believe that it values the lives of all of its citizens equally.
Blacks often feel anger and frustration when they are overwhelmed by injustice.
Before the civil rights movement blacks were socialized to believe they could not fight city hall. As the civil rights leaders and the Riverside community continue to mobilize in protest of the latest travesty of justice, I am reminded why black people were elated after the O.J. Simpson verdict. It had little to do with O.J. and everything to do with memories.