Like many people I have been following the case of Freddie Gray, 25 year-old young man who died while in police custody in Baltimore, Maryland. Seeing film of him being arrested and being placed in the police van, made my heart ache. The arresting officers seemed like they were hoisting a bag of potatoes into their van, instead of a human being in distress.
I remembered times in college when I had been treated roughly by police when I was peacefully protesting the Vietnam war. I grew up with the feeling that police are not there to protect and serve my interests, but are the representatives of the 1% who are in power. I identified with Freddie Gray.
As an adult, I also worked with police and found most of them to be caring, compassionate people who are doing their best to be a force for good in the community. Every day they have to deal with people, many young, angry males, who are potentially dangerous. I have compassion for anyone who chooses to be a law enforcement officer. I tell myself I would be a better cop than those who arrested Freddie Gray, but to be truthful I’m not sure what I’d do if I had lived their lives and walked in their shoes.
As I listened to Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announce that six police officers have been charged in the death of Freddie Gray, I wept. I shed tears for the young man who had been killed, for his family, friends, and community. I also cried for so many other young males who have been killed by police. But I also cried for the police officers who have become so disconnected from the people they serve that they could treat Freddie Gray so inhumanely.
I also felt hope for the future. Freddie Gray’s death is not an isolated incident. Too many young men are killed by other young men on the street and sometimes by older men in uniform. In many ways the mostly male police force and the mostly male arrestees are playing out a deadly interaction that results from the beliefs we learn about what it means to be a man. Things like: Be tough, don’t be a sissy, don’t cry, never back down, compete, don’t let anyone disrespect you, don’t show weakness. Mark Greene talks about The Man Box and why we need to break out of it.
Sometimes, we need women to help break the cycle of violence that is so much a part of the Man Box. It was heartening to hear powerful words of Marilyn Mosby, describing what had caused the death of Freddie Gray. Ms. Mosby said that Mr. Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury on April 12 while being transported in a police van — and not earlier, while being arrested — and pointed to the failure of the police to put a seatbelt on him as a crucial factor. “Mr. Gray suffered a critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside the BPD wagon,” she said, referring to the police van. Despite repeated stops to check on his condition, the van driver and other officers never belted him in, she said, at times leaving him facedown on the van floor with his hands behind him.
Mr. Gray’s condition deteriorated, she said, as officers repeatedly ignored his pleas for medical attention and ignored obvious signs that he was in distress. At one point, she said, when an officer attempted to check on him, he was completely unresponsive — yet no action was taken. He died of his injuries a week later.
From reading about Freddie Gray, I wonder if he was arrested for the knife he carried or because he had a history of drug use. Too many young people feel isolated and hopeless. They use drugs like marijuana to take away the emotional pain. We then make war on drugs, which is really making war on the people who use them. That isn’t likely to solve our problems. Young men don’t need more neglect and abuse, like all of us they need compassion, understanding, guidance, and support.
I hope that all those involved with the life and death of Freddie Gray can allow this tragedy to bring changes in the way the police treat young men of color in our communities all over the U.S. I hope it will change the way our whole criminal justice system operates. We lock up more people than anywhere else in the world. Why is that? Certainly our antiquated drug laws are part of the problem.
We’ve created an escalating cycle of violence where young men became more convinced that no one cares. They act out their rage and older male police officers must subdue them. More violence is used to control those we fear and those we fear become more isolated from the rest of us. We can break this cycle of violence. May Freddie Gray, and all those who were touched by his tragedy, lead the way.
I’m a 61 y/o white male who believes policing in the US is out of control & not just a few “bad” cops. A system that is broken. To protect & serve is for the 1%. Crime is @ the lowest recorded levels we have seen for 50 years but we continue to militarize & idemnify our police depts. District Atty’s are beholden to their local police & rarely hold them accountable for egregious violations of citizens civil liberties. Body cameras will bring much needed transparency but without indictments & convictions police depts will continue to act like gangs & bullies.
S.P., Agreed. The system is broken. Humans have a tendency to look for scapegoats when they are afraid of a world that seems out of control. These days the scapegoat is often young men of color. We need to bring the individuals responsible for the most egregious actions to justice. We must then go further and change the system, deal more directly with our fears, and learn to live in peace with those who we believe are “the other.”
We now have a standing army here in the US regardless of what the Constitution prohibits.
There are no compassionate cops.
There are the more obvious, don’t give a damn, vicious, out of control thug cops and then there are the somewhat still human cops who allow the evil ones to get by with their shenanigans.
They are all hiding behind that ‘blue wall of brotherhood’ crap.
Think about this….what type of personality profile would ever want to carry a gun, possess the power of a badge, have complete, deadly control over anyone they chose to harass all while carrying various weapons?
The militarization of our cops is complete. We, as citizens, have surrendered all power and control to roving packs of sociopaths.
These days a few more white folks are pulling their heads out to recognize what any brown skinned person could have told them. Every day life is horrendous for any ‘other than white’ males in particular.
If you know any black, brown or Asian men, ask them about their lifelong interactions with any police force.
Cops have been getting away with murder since the first one strapped on a gun and pinned his badge. The rogue cops are not limited to just males. Sociopaths know no gender. Females are just as capable of such evil. Remember Abu Ghraib?
One of the more recent demonstrations of cop control was when I witnessed what happened to the Occupy movement. Cops beat, sprayed and shot with impunity…..and got by with it.
Do you recall the extreme pepper spraying of the sitting, peaceful protesters on the UC Berkeley campus? Do you also recall that the crazed cop who did the spraying got paid disability payments because of the ‘trauma’ he experienced that day. What the hell?
I have personally known four men who became cops/trooper/sheriffs. Two quit because they just couldn’t stomach the actions of their fellow cops…..and had no power to change anything. The other two I know have succumbed to the dark side and thrived while relishing the new found unaccountable power that a badge and gun gave them.
During my limited interaction with a cop I witnessed him (CHP) completely fabricate and promote ‘facts’ that were all blatant lies. I told the judge but was ignored and dismissed all because the judge said the cop was a good guy who had no reason to lie. In both aspects the judge was incorrect. The trooper needed to lie just because he had no case but wouldn’t admit he made a mistake…..and most importantly, he knew he could get by with it.
Such is the legal system. Completely corrupt…..unless you are rich….and it helps to be white.
Doubt what I have laid out? Next time you interact with any cop, just tell him ‘no’ and see how fast you are taken care of.
Gura,
Thanks for your passionate response. I’m hoping we will all wake up and recognize that we must stop scapegoating young men. There are certainly some cops who need to be brought to justice, but it is the system that is sick, not just individual cops.
Well, what do you know….speak of the devils and ‘boing’!!!! Here comes confirmation data….
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/an-ex-cop-keeps-the-countrys-best-data-set-on-police-misconduct/
Once again, Jed has written a most compassionate and timely article. Thank you, Jed! I have shared this with my Facebook friends… and I hope this (and ALL your articles!) are widely read. You are helping to shape a more rational and emotionally intelligent future for humanity.
Cynthia, thanks much. I think Freddie Gray’s life and death can be a beacon of hope for all of us.
This is an extremely important issue for everyone in the United States to embrace. There is so much to learn and know and understand. Why is this happening and what can we as citizens and residents do to fix it?
You made some very important points. Some of the big take aways for me are the importance of compassion for EVERYONE involved. This issue is incredibly complex.
I listened to an interview with an African American reporter who had lived in Baltimore for more than 30 years.
He said that it is commonplace for young black men to be stopped by police to make sure they hadn’t stolen the cars in which they are riding – kind of like facing suspicion for the crime of “driving while black.”
The reporter said his son was stopped frequently because of this.
That reporter’s son had the advantage of coming from an educated and functional family. But what if that weren’t the case.
Imagine a young person whose family had been torn apart through drug dependency and poverty. Imagine not having someone teach you, “Listen, what these cops are doing is wrong. They will harass you and you MUST keep your calm and be respectful, even while you are being disrespected.”
It’s hard for me – a middle-aged white lady, born in 1958, a little to young for Viet Nam protests- to really understand what it would be like to have been in Freddy’s shoes.
I know it’s no fun to be harassed by aggressive Department of Transportation officers – like one who forced me to take a sobriety test while checking in at a weigh station while driving my big truck. That officer’s only validation was “because he could.”
But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the brutality our citizenry is experiencing at the hands of people entrusted to “serve and protect us.”
Those of us who follow Jed’s blog are people who want to be the best people we can be. Part of being the best we can be requires us to stay engaged on this important issue.
Further as a devout civil libertarian, I urge all of us to consider the laws we allow our congress, and our city, county and state legislatures enact that perpetuate the destruction of civil liberties and the empowerment of the police state!
Namaste’
Rebecca,
Its not easy imagining what its like to be in Freddie’s shoes. But the more we know and the more we share, the more we’ll connect with the common humanity in all of us.