At some point in my life, I realized that if my actions around law enforcement officers could be perceived as remotely threatening, then there was a real possibility that they could be met with lethal force. I did not come to this realization before the age of twelve. That was the age of Tamir Rice at the time he was shot by Officer Timothy Loehmann. The killing of Tamir Rice, along with a grand jury’s recent decision not to indict Officer Loehmann, sparked further Black Lives Matter protests. And with each demonstration comes the usual criticisms.
Some critics suggest that the efforts of Black Lives Matter protesters are misguided. They point to the number of blacks killed by other blacks as more worthy of attention. While it is an important issue, it is distinct from unjustified violence committed by police officers. In many high-crime areas, there are recreational centers, religious and nonprofit organizations, and youth groups devoted to ending violence. Whether they are receiving attention from the public and sufficient resources is not entirely up to them.
Not every action of individuals or groups associated with Black Lives Matter is justifiable or legal. Still, the movement often focuses on raising awareness of the extrajudicial killings of black people by police officers, police misconduct, and racial bias in the criminal justice system. Surely Americans are free to express concern about any cause they choose despite its size or scope. In 2014, over 8,000 times more Americans died of suicide than Islamist terrorist attacks in the United States. And yet a 2015 Gallup Poll found that one out of six Americans identifies terrorism as the most significant U.S. problem.
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Others may argue that many blacks killed by law enforcement officers are faced with heightened distrust because they live in high-crime areas. That means, of course, that law enforcement officers are not judging citizens independently. Instead, individuals undeservedly bear the same burden of suspicion as the most criminal members of their community. I can only assume that is how a 12-year-old boy playing alone with a toy gun became a threat to an officer’s life.
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