Editorials & Other Articles

Novara

(5,857 posts) Mon Apr 13, 2015, 01:00 PM Apr 2015

Walter Scott Is Not on Trial

From Charles M. Blow:

I not only watched television pundits discuss the shooting of Walter Scott in North Charleston, S.C., last week, I participated in some of those discussions.

And the most disturbing thread that emerged for me was people who said up front that they saw no justification for Scott being killed, but nevertheless stalked around for a back door that would allow them to surreptitiously blame the victim for his own death. Some formulation of “if only he hadn’t run...” was the way this dark door was eased open.

I find it particularly disturbing the way that we try to find excuses for killings, the way that we seek to deprecate a person when they have been killed rather than insisting that they deserved to remain among the living.

For me, there is only one issue in the Walter Scott case: he is dead, and that cannot be undone. And not only was he killed, but he was killed in a most dishonorable way: shot in the back as he fled. So, for me there is only one question: Should the dead man be dead? Is there anything, under American jurisprudence and universal moral law, that justifies the taking of this man’s life?

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/opinion/charles-blow-walter-scott-is-not-on-trial.html

6 replies

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Highlight:

Walter Scott Is Not on Trial (Original Post) Novara Apr 2015 OP

If your brother was shot dead for not paying his rent last month, would you start a sentence NoJusticeNoPeace Apr 2015 #1

Perfect. Wait, what if he had a history of not paying rent? Maybe he was evicted? Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #4

You never know. He might have had bad breath, too. Joe Chi Minh Apr 2015 #6

If he hadn't run angryvet Apr 2015 #2

Good Point HassleCat Apr 2015 #3

Walter Scott is not on trial? Joe Chi Minh Apr 2015 #5

NoJusticeNoPeace

(5,018 posts)

1. If your brother was shot dead for not paying his rent last month, would you start a sentence

Reply to Novara (Original post)

Mon Apr 13, 2015, 01:02 PM

Apr 2015

"He didnt deserve to be shot, but you know, he was late in paying the rent"

Not only no would you or I not say that, but if someone said it in our presence they would get a punch in the nose

excellent OP

Ed Suspicious

(8,879 posts)

4. Perfect. Wait, what if he had a history of not paying rent? Maybe he was evicted?

Reply to NoJusticeNoPeace (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 13, 2015, 05:31 PM

Apr 2015

Still the same outcome.

Joe Chi Minh

(15,229 posts)

6. You never know. He might have had bad breath, too.

Reply to NoJusticeNoPeace (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 13, 2015, 06:04 PM

Apr 2015

angryvet

(181 posts)

2. If he hadn't run

Reply to Novara (Original post)

Mon Apr 13, 2015, 01:07 PM

Apr 2015

he would have been shot in the chest.

HassleCat

(6,409 posts)

3. Good Point

Reply to angryvet (Reply #2)

Mon Apr 13, 2015, 01:11 PM

Apr 2015

When someone runs from the police, we jump to the conclusion they ran because they feared arrest on a warrant, etc. In many cases, I think they run simply because they're afraid of the police. Maybe they just figure a moving target is harder to hit, so the odds are better if they sprint for it.

Joe Chi Minh

(15,229 posts)

5. Walter Scott is not on trial?

Reply to Novara (Original post)

Mon Apr 13, 2015, 06:02 PM

Apr 2015

Don't be mean. That's all they ever have. When they have that.

After reading Serpico's article, I have less qualms about tarring most of the US police with the same brush, so I no longer baulk at thinking about them as 'the many-headed beast', one of Coriolanus's descriptions of the people in Shakespeare's eponymous play.

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