Walter Scott Is Dead

My title may sound silly and stupid but the fact in the title is what is critical. Walter Scott, a man in South Carolina, is dead. Shot in the back, hit by five out of eight shots fired by a North Charleston police officer. What Walter Scott was doing or why he was doing it isn't the important issue here. He's dead, gone, no more. There are those who have never believed that people of color need to worry about people in authority, specifically the police. Well, now they should know. You can in fact be executed in the street. There is no arrest, no arraignment, no hearing, no trial, nothing. You run and you are shot in the back. No, there isn't a warning shot. There isn't a call for assistance. There aren't even attempts to shoot the legs out from under you. The shots fired are kill shots and five out of eight hit the mark and you fall dying. What little life may be left in you feels the pull of your arms and hears the click of handcuffs but it's in the distance and in the next seconds you are gone. You are dead Walter Scott.

What's wrong with us? What's wrong with our police? What's wrong with our elected officials? Who gave these life and death decisions and authority to police in our communities? For those who don't believe, watch the videos, not just of Walter Scott but also of sheriff deputies in California beating a suspect. Beating him around the head and kicking him in the groin at full force. What is this? Is it testosterone, adrenaline or just poor, no really bad training? Who in fact is policing the police when they go rogue or just get out of control? This has gone on for years. It has gone on and has become part of a culture, part of the system.

There has to be more accountability by senior officers and elected officials who hire and monitor the police. There has to be citizen involvement. There have to be more officers who yell and scream stop when they see bad actions by other police and who pull other officers off of suspects when they start beating them.

And finally we all have to stop blaming victims - questioning why he ran, what were the outstanding warrants, etc., etc. Why? Because Walter Scott is dead and he shouldn't be.