L****1
发帖数: 460 | 1 刚刚得知
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/racism-and-law-enforc
The Brown-Wilson case holds up a mirror unto the troubling state of race
relations in America. First, it is only the latest in a long list of
flashpoints triggered by law enforcement brutality towards unarmed African-
Americans, including the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin (17) and the
videotaped 1991 beating of Rodney King, both cases in which the accused
officers were acquitted. Second, it shows how public prosecutors or other
government officials may manoeuvre juridical proceedings in a manner that
renders a plaintiff victory effectively impossible. Since the verdict was
announced, the St. Louis County Prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, has come under
fire for his decision to use a grand jury in this highly sensitive case,
thus precluding a transparent and exhaustive trial involving detailed cross-
examination. Third, the imprint of the racist stereotyping of African-
Americans amongst police officers, which was arguably evident in the
testimony of Mr. Wilson, has a wider echo in terms of relatively higher
incarceration rates. The searing racism in the U.S. has often made it an
uncomfortable place for minorities, as it was for Muslims, Sikhs and even
Hindus in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. African-Americans of all
backgrounds, however, face a daily, ongoing threat to their lives and
security, given the toxic mix of historical prejudice and law enforcement’s
gun culture. |
|
