the most ridiculous thing is when white people say “if a black man kills a white man it doesn’t get anywhere near this amount of attention” because it is so obvious that you are Missing The Point if you think that’s what this is about.
when a black man kills a white man, the black man is put on trial. he is charged with a crime. he is properly punished for committing murder. no one sits around wondering “did the white man deserve it?” there is no question.
the case is clear: murder. justice is served. it’s done.
but a white cop kills an unarmed black man and suddenly america has doubts. suddenly it’s all about justifying the murder. it’s about proving that the black man deserved to die. the black man is put on trial for his own murder, witnesses are discredited, lies are told, and the white cop gets off free.
the difference is that if it’s a black man shooting a white man, justice is served and the murderer is charged with murder. if it’s a white man shooting a black man, the system works to protect exactly who it wants to protect: the white man. no justice is served. the murderer suddenly had probable cause.
and this isn’t an isolated incident. this happens all the time.
trying to derail the discussion with, “what if it was a black cop and a white boy?” is utterly pointless because it is completely ignoring the fact that this never would have happened otherwise. you want to know what would happen? the cop would be indicted. he would be charged with a crime. he would rot in prison forever. no one would ever spend long hours debating whether or not it was self-defense.
don’t try to flip the situation. it cannot be flipped.