How do you empathize with destruction?
The Daily Drip
I think we can all agree that police brutality is unacceptable.
I think we can also all agree that destroying property is unacceptable.
Based on what we know about human history, rioting is a common occurrence when a group of people has been silenced for an extended period of time.
I live in Denver, CO and for the past couple of days, I've seen Denver PD and SWAT launch tear gas and rubber bullets blindly into crowds of peaceful protesters.
If you’ve ever been hit by a "non-lethal" something like that, you’ll know it’s really effective at making you wanna hit back.
Translation: it escalates, it doesn’t de-escalate.
I've heard the word "injustice" a lot, so let's take a second to describe what that might be.
About 3 weeks ago, I saw a bunch of protesters openly carrying ARs (that’s actually a felony on federal property in Denver) standing on the same ground at capitol hill asking to have the state re-opened. This isn't illegal in other parts of the state, just in Denver and on federal property.
So, if that protest wasn't broken up with tear gas, why is this one?
Here's another example: I used to live in Philadelphia, PA. When the Eagles won the super bowl, there was rioting. No social injustice, just flipping cars and breaking into storefronts. For some reason, there was no use of force.
The bending of rules and the inconsistency around what will be enforced creates a moving target that is difficult for oppressed groups to hit.
I don’t think any of us support the insane destruction to public and private property, but it’s a very human thing to fight back when the rules aren’t the same from group to group (injustice) and behaviors of one group are excused while they others are condemned (oppression).
I think if we can bring a little empathy to both sides, we may be able to solve problems collaboratively instead of with force.
By empathy, I mean:
Understanding the police didn't get the training needed to de-escalate situations. They also didn't take Sociology 101, where they would have learned that even if you don't think you're a racist, most people are more likely to think that the object in the black man's hand is a gun than they are to think that the same object in a white man's hand is a gun. Racism is a tricky, non-conscious feeling. That's what makes it so hard to articulate.
It also means understanding that for a group of people who have faced repeated abuses of power, fighting back with weapons like "representation" and "negotiation" don't seem like options. Social disruption feels like the only way to call attention to the issue.
Right and wrong is rarely true or false--black or white. It's this terribly messy gray area that causes a lot of pain and misunderstanding.
The good news is that a few places are getting it right and we can look to them as role models.
Even freaking New Jersey cops said “hey, this isn’t right. Can we walk with you in this protest march?”
I don't know if you've ever been to New Jersey, but if you have, this would be surprising.
Surely, if New Jersey can work collaboratively to solve these problems, so can the rest of us.
Stay safe out there, and fight for what you believe in.
If you're an outsider looking in, use empathy first before judging behavior.