Terrible message to drop charges in Olympia shooting

Jim Bamberger writes in his Sept. 21 guest opinion piece that Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin are “the victims of Officer Donald’s gun violence.” Wow. That might be the most offensive line I have ever read.

The point of his article is that the two young men should have all charges against them dropped based solely on the skin colors of those involved. What a positively racist concept.

People like Bamberger are telling minorities that complying with orders by white police officers will more often than not get them shot anyway so they might as well put up a fight. This is a dangerous and irresponsible lie and it has to stop.

This logic has it’s roots in Ferguson Missouri, where a young black man committed theft, assaulted a store clerk and then later resisted arrest, assaulted an officer and was shot. History apparently repeated itself in Olympia and, according to Bamberger, the problem is the officer.

Does he really believe that I can go at a police officer with a skateboard and not be shot just because I am white? Or that I wouldn’t be charged afterward? Fine, show me the case that proves it. Show me the long list of white men not charged for similar acts by this prosecutor.

Better yet counselor, bring them to the trial of Andre and Bryson. That would be a lot more helpful than your message to minorities that police routinely decide who to shoot based on skin color.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Terrible message to drop charges in Olympia shooting."