If you’ve been remotely paying attention to the news lately, then there is no need to explain who Laquan McDonald is or who Jason Van Dyke is. (If you don’t know who they are, please Google the story. I don’t want to waste column inches explaining something most people are familiar with.)
One of the things that completely baffles me in regards to the protests surrounding McDonald’s death are the amount of people who are vehemently opposed to the notion that McDonald was killed unjustly and the protests themselves are wrong placed.
People are upset over the death of McDonald. And you know what? They should be. Here is a young man who was killed rather unjustifiably with 16 shots to his body – many of which while he was already dying on the hard ground.
McDonald was armed with a small knife, though the recently released dashboard camera shows McDonald nowhere near in striking distance of the officers in pursuit of him. Alas, people can’t understand the outrage.
Certain people see these protests as disrespectful to police. Certain people can’t understand this protests against a system that tried to sweep this under the rug and hide it and take those angry in the streets as being somehow against those in a blue uniform with a star on the chest. Certain people simply lack nuance.
If I had a nickel for every Facebook post I had to read over Thanksgiving break commenting on how protestors taking to the streets and calling for the resignations of Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, ripping down the lights of the Christmas tree downtown, or taking to corners of Michigan Avenue to disrupt Black Friday shopping are idiots and wrong for doing so, I would be a rich man indeed. But, those people are wrong.
Protests in which – to the date that this article was written –no one was willfully and maliciously hurt, no major property was destroyed, and the greatest casualty has been a few strands of party lights attached to a massive spruce and a few bucks to corporations that are doing fine anyway, well I would call that a pretty respectful protest.
Grand gestures make change. One of the most divisive images of these protests has been that of a young black man staring into the eyes of CPD members. In the video that I’ve seen, both parties remain completely silent. Saying nothing. Simply looking at one another.
Many have called this moment disrespectful on behalf of the protestor. I say it’s rather poignant. He seems to be saying, “I’m not afraid of you and will stare you right in the eyes to prove so.” He’s not hurting the officer. He’s not insulting the officer. He is not threatening the officer. Simply staring.
Some people can’t handle nuance. They can’t handle that people are deservedly upset that a young man who doesn’t have to be dead is dead. They can’t handle the fact that some police are brutes who do kill when there are other alternatives.
Alvarez will be facing re-election in March. I do not envy her and am doubtful whether she will even make it that long. Depending on how much pressure protestors and other city officials put on Emanuel. Emanuel already nudged McCarthy out of office.
Moving forward, it may seem simple to say, but I think the most valuable thing that can be done moving forward is listening. Listen to those with the signs. Listen to those with the megaphones. And listen to those ripping down Christmas lights. They have something to say.
Don’t just write it off because you like the police. I like the police. But I have no patience for bullies or people who would rather pretend there is no problem when there clearly is one.
Brian Laughran
Editor-in-Chief