There’s been so much in the news about the Democratic Bernie Sanders supporter who opened fire on a Republican Congressional baseball practice. Thankfully there were no casualties. Something else is on my mind today, though. I am thinking about a man named Philando Castile.
I’ve never met Phil Castile. I never will. Our lives never once intersected, and probably never would have, but he is on my mind. Why? Because his killer was acquitted today. If Phil had been threatening the man who killed him, or had not complied with the man’s requests, this might make a little more sense to me. However, Phil was doing everything right. Still, it was not enough to keep him from being shot.
The person who killed Castile was not a mugger, but a police officer. An officer who told Castile to get his hands up, which he did, and to get his license and registration, which he attempted to do. However, Castile informed the officers who stopped him (for the 52nd time) that he had a gun and a concealed carry permit. He also informed the officer that he was getting his ID. The officer shot him seven times. Seven. S-E-V-E-N. The Medical Examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide. The District Attorney charged the officer with three felonies, one of them being second-degree manslaughter. The jury, however, decided not to hold him accountable.
I wasn’t there at the traffic stop, so I cannot say exactly what happened. However, there were witnesses, and Castile’s girlfriend started recording after the shooting. It seems pretty clear that the officer decided to shoot when such force was completely unnecessary. Yet the jury acquitted.
It’s been all too clear in recent days that being black in America comes with a warning. That a person can do everything right, and still be gunned down by those in authority. The Medical Examiner and the District Attorney did what many in their shoes would not and have not done; they sought to hold the officer accountable for his actions that ended a man’s life. Then the jury let Phil Castile and his family and friends down. And we all want to know why. Because until everyone steps up and says that what has been happening to our black citizens just isn’t right, and that we won’t stand for it (and by we I mean ALL citizens of the United States, no matter our race, religion, or sexual orientation), this will continue to happen.
So today I am thinking about another life lost, and hoping that more of us, especially those of us with the advantage of a lighter skin color, will stand up and ask, “If all lives truly matter, why are certain ones lost more often than others?” It’s time to recognize that the Pledge of Allegiance that so many are so proud of has an uncomfortable little word at the end–ALL; and a pledge is a promise.
Life As I Know It 