Don’t misuse the word “racism”

Anna Mumaw in the May 21 Olympian says that racism is the reason that “two unarmed black men accused of shoplifting can be pursued and shot, and then be charged and found guilty of assault (and the officer who shot them cleared of any wrongdoing.)”

There is videotape of the shoplifting, and one of the men pleaded guilty to the theft. Should police not respond to reports of theft?

They were not shot for shoplifting, they were shot because they attacked the policeman, threatening to hit him in the head with a skateboard. Is it racist for a policeman to use his weapon in self defense? What should a police officer do in such situations? What would Mumaw do if two men were threatening her in the same way?

Both had blood alcohol levels more than twice the legal limit — they were drunk and used poor judgment. The jury found them guilty of assault for throwing a case of beer at a supermarket employee, — evidence that they were not in a peaceful mood that night. No doubt some cases of black people shot by white police officers are unjust, tragic results of racism — perhaps unconscious racism. Based on the evidence, however, this is not one of those cases.

I have worked and demonstrated against racism. I hate to see that word misused, because it weakens our ability to fight racism where it really exists.

This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Don’t misuse the word “racism”."