But if we're going to stop it, we need to find the actual (not politically and emotionally charged) root of the problem. Is it simple racism? Are all of the white officers involved in these incidents hiding a deep seated hatred for anyone who is black? I gotta doubt it.
In each of the incidents I have been exposed to, there has been another important factor. I wrote a little about it back in the case of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. It was also apparent in the most recent incident last weekend in Tulsa when a 73 year old, pseudo cop working as a volunteer with the Sheriff's office used his gun thinking it was his taser and killed a suspect. The elements are there in the NYC choking incident where they guy selling cigarettes was choked to death, in the incident in South Carolina, and Ferguson.
In each episode, both the black victim and the white officer behaved stupidly. My contention is that none of these incidents would have happened if either party - anybody involved in the equation or either side - wasn't stupid.
We have police officers, and they are fallible. We don't recruit policemen from MIT. The uniform, badge and gun do not make them less stupid than they would be otherwise. It does make them meaner, bolder and bigger bullies than they would be otherwise. But that's life, and it's been that way in every culture for thousands of years. Stupidity is amplified by authority, in all facets of government. If a certain policeman is racist, that also adds to the stupidity.
So let's presume (falsely) for a moment that all policemen are stupid, predatory, racist, arrogant, bullies. Why would anyone more intelligent than plant life provoke them? Why did that guy in South Carolina or the guy in Tulsa get out of the car and try to outrun the police? Why did the guy in Ferguson, or the guy in NYC or Trayvon pick a fight? There's only one answer, and it has nothing to do with race. These guys are as stupid as stupid gets. And they paid the ultimate price for being so damn stupid. And it's not fair or right, and the officers should be punished, and none of them deserved to die. But that's life.
The great thing about America is that we have a court system where all of the details get ironed out - removed from the stress and heat of the moment. There is a place to make an argument, take a position and defend oneself from an overly aggressive thug with a badge and gun. It's a courtroom! Our legal system is what separates us from the rest of the world. Police are accountable to the judicial system here. It's not like that everywhere.
What about the murdering cops? Should they be exonerated? Hell No. The 32 year old, five year veteran with 4 kids and a wife who is 8 months pregnant didn't get up that morning intending to shoot and kill a black guy. He intended to go home to his family. Now his life is over. Why? Because he is stupid and behaved stupidly - with a badge and gun. The cop (sort of) in Tulsa was armed with a taser, a handgun and a pepper bullet gun. He got confused about which one he drew. How stupid is that? And who is the stupid guy who let him have all those weapons? He may not be charged with a crime, but will certainly have to cough up everything in the wrongful death suit that is surely coming.
Any of these situations could have happened without the race card. And I'm pretty sure there are stupid black policemen killing unarmed stupid white guys that never make the news. Stupidity is colorblind, chronic and sometimes fatal. I don't think Congress or the Supreme Court of the President can do anything about that. But each of us can. Maybe we should learn not to be stupid.