There is a reality to the whole "driving while black" and the "black experience" in general. Some of the comments here show ignorance to this experience. Not ignorance in a bad way, just the lack of that experience. This experience is something that a white man will never experience but that doesn't make it any less of a reality. And it is very real. I have seen it in action time and again throughout my life.
Here are a few examples.
1. When I was a teen I worked at a grocery store. We were near a high school. When the high school kids came in, the store manager would have the black teen males followed. I witnessed the white kids stealing and I never told the manager because I thought he was a douche for profiling the dang kids. It was my own little ha ha to him.
2. A good friend of mine was pulled over 26 times in one year after getting a new audi. I heard disparaging comments made by officers one time as I was on the phone with him. They would search his car, then give him outrageous tickets. He was black driving a new audi and was profiled as a drug dealer. He is a middle class college graduate.
I know a lot of cops, cops who are good, honest people. A cops job is high stress and they put their lives at risk everyday. But profiling does happen, and it does cause damage. I know a lot of people, I surround myself with people of all backgrounds.
Now, cases. Treyvon was being followed by zimmerman. If some crazy guy was following me I would likely defend myself, too. Zimmerman has proven to be an aggressive hot head and is an idiot. He has a history of violence. He instigated the altercation and then cried foul. Zimmerman was not a cop, but a wannabe cop with anger issues. Zimmerman is a murderer who got away with it because of stand your ground. Comparing that case to this is apples and oranges.
Same with that poor kid who got shot by that crazy dude because his music was being played loud. I was happy that dumb ass was convicted. That was unprovoked murder. Again, apples and oranges.
This situation is different. MB was aggressive, had just robbed someone, and was clearly feeling himself already. He acted stupidly by antagonizing the cop, by getting aggressive, by being uncooperative when he was already suspected of the robbery. Had he behaved better, he would still be alive. With what I know of this case, I do not think this cop shot him because he was black, but because he was scared. There are too many conflicting stories. But he was approaching a man who had just robbed a store.
I do question the number of shots fired. He could have taken out a kneecap or two. So I do think excessive force was used. But not necessarily because of racial profiling. And I Am SUPER Sensitive to These Situations Because Of The Things I have witnessed. Because of stories of unnecessary police shootings of black males resulting in death where it shouldn't have happened. But stop comparing Treyvon and that kid that got shot in the car with this situation. They are not the same.
The looting and rioting is so sad. It is ignorance and it is pain and anger. It is people taking advantage of a situation who are out for themselves. But reality is profiling does happen to black males, this is real. There is a divide. So anytime a shooting happens, there is doubt. There is suspicion. Comments here about doubting "they" pay taxes and such is an example of this profiling and also is disappointing. There are millions of people who come from poor neighborhoods who aren't black and don't pay taxes. There are millions of middles class black families who pay taxes. And there is definitely racial profiling that places black males on the defensive.
While in college I took a psychology class where my instructor, a white male, shared his experience as part of a men's group he had participated in. He is white. The group paired men of different races together to not just share experiences they have had but to also go out and observe. His eyes were opened to the fact that black men are more likely to be treated differently and he now realizes just how real profiling is. He explained that he now knows that no white man will ever truly feel the "black experience" but they should all pay attention and try.
