Bad Judgment Doesn’t Have to Be Racist to Be Catastrophic
This Op-ed will not criticize police from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in Nacogdoches, Texas in any way.
When people call the cops, officers have to show up even if the emergency call is nonsense.
Thank God, police officers from SFA did their jobs the correct way.
This article will not even address racism although many people have seen some White women known as “Karens” call the police on brothers and sisters simply for living.
But things do not have to be about racism in order for people of a certain race to face the dire consequences of ignorance.
At SFA, police officers burst into the dorm room of an African-American freshman named Christin Evans, 17, from Houston when her two White roommates reached out to the community advisor at the dormitory and campus police officers and claimed that she had threatened to stab them with scissors.
Although youngsters will be youngsters and will do immature things, when immaturity puts an innocent person in danger, then those who pulled the prank should face disciplinary action and/or criminal charges.
After several African-Americans had encounters with police officers when some White people used their privilege to claim they had been victimized, states have debated charging people with criminal offenses for calling the cops on African-Americans for no reason.
With police brutality constantly a threat to African-Americans, I have often stated that “Karens” who call the cops on innocent African-Americans should face attempted murder charges because all it takes is for someone to feel threatened by an African-American in order to justify their murder in this nation.
But what should happen when young people are involved in a bad prank and did not wish any harm on an African-American?
They should still face some type of criminal charge because even if a person does not intend to kill someone, it does not mean they escape charges like manslaughter.
Intent does not prevent incidents of a catastrophic nature.
While I am not advocating throwing away the students with the bath water, something has to be done to let people know that calling the cops on people can result in the loss of life.
According to KPRC in Houston, “Investigators at Stephen F. Austin State University said Wednesday that they do not believe an incident involving police entering a student’s room earlier [last month] was racially motivated.
“Freshman Christin Evans, 17, said she felt ‘shaken’ after police stormed into her room with guns drawn Sept. 14 while she was sleeping. Evans, who is Black, said she believed the incident was orchestrated by her White roommates and that she believes the incident was motivated by her race.
“SFA police Chief John Fields said there are up to 11 females involved in the incident. Three of them are Black, one is Hispanic and the others are White, Fields said.”
Fields added, “The evidence doesn’t lead to any racism. It’s more students doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing.”
Although the evidence does not lead to racism, the evidence does lead to a lack of common sense, especially for the three Black students allegedly involved in this foolishness.
In 2020 it is hard to believe that the White and Hispanic students did not know of the serious ramifications of calling the police on African-Americans for no reason.
How could anyone on Earth not know about the Black Lives Matter movement and the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor among others?
Activists as far as Asia are saying their names and chanting, “Black lives matter.”
Therefore, lack of knowledge is not an excuse for anyone living in the 50 states and its territories.
However, for three Black students to play this type of game with another Black person’s life and safety is worse than pouring salt on an open wound.
Throughout Black history, someone who looked like them or came from the same community or organizations that they came from has often betrayed our people and our leaders.
Look at the assassination of Black Panther Party leader, Fred Hampton.
Look at the assassination of Black Nationalist leader, Malcolm X.
Look at all of the informants who infiltrated groups like the Black Panther Party, various civil rights organizations and the Nation of Islam just to do the job of a racist.
Betrayal often hurts more when it comes from your community.
To be totally fair, no one is putting these three students in the same category as a government informant.
Not even close.
These students played a prank.
But what if the prank went worse than it actually did?
The end result could have been the same ending that befell Malcolm and Hampton.
Back in the day, the younger generation could claim ignorance to Black history.
Many did not know of the rough road that their ancestors had to walk for the next generation to enjoy full freedoms and rights.
So many died just so that the current generation would not have to suffer.
Unfortunately, now many youngsters are causing pain for their own people out of ignorance and immaturity.
At a time when so many young people have become leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement, it is a shame that many Black Americans do not take the struggle seriously enough.
As a result, they can cause more pain and strife to someone from their own community.
So no, this Op-ed is not about police brutality.
This editorial is not even about racism, per se.
But that is no consolation, when the results could have become just as tragic.
