Eric Garner Case - Outrageous

Like many others I am frustrated, feeling angry as well as a bit hopeless about justice and fairness in America. At this point, many lack confidence in the system, responses by government officials and police organizations and their representatives. The Eric Garner incident and his death are clearly recorded with video plus audio. Most people viewing it recognize the problems - the escalation, one officer acting very aggressively, after the choke hold, his knee going to Garners head and neck.

If this factual record can't show probable cause and get an indictment, then body cameras are a complete waste of money. I'm also tired of hearing police defenders accuse anyone who raises a voice for justice implying that all of this is an attack on the police in general. It isn't. It's an attack on bad policing and bad cops. There are cultural issues and biases that exist. There are structural problems with prosecutions and internal reviews. There are problems with violation of policy. Defending these actions is outrageous and sickening. Police officers on the scene could have and I believe, should have intervened.

Black lives do matter. Eric Garner's, Michael Brown's, Tamir Rice's and Trayvon Martin's lives did matter. If we've learned anything, I hope we've all learned to speak up when we see injustice. We need to speak up if we see bad arrests happening. We have to speak up when any person is being treated badly.

I saw a post last night by a black junior in college. She expressed total hopelessness in a world, in her country, that seems to view her as worthless. How sad and how wrong.