Sometimes, events occur which, although separate in locality, have features in common, or, when compared, reveal a clarity that they would not possess apart.

Cases in point: A} a young man, reportedly for the high crime of possessing a 3 inch knife, gets shot repeatedly, until dead. His alleged offense: Causing fear in a cop;

B} A middle-aged man, armed as if about to engage in war, drives to a Colorado Springs abortion clinic, and engages in an hours long rampage, shooting 9, and killing 3 before quitting his tantrum – and submitting to arrest.

Upon arrest, he is neither beaten, nor kicked, nor stomped, nor shot.

I am, of course, referring to the cases of Laquan McDonald, 17, late of Chicago, IL, and of Robert L Dear, 59, of Colorado Springs, site of a Planned Parenthood clinic.

It must be said that Black men receive hyper-attention when in the presence of cops, so much so that, as a rule, white guys fade into the background of normality, unseen, unchallenged – even when they are carrying arsenals.

Again, as in Dear’s case, he drove to the clinic, and then carried arms into the site of Planned Parenthood.

One man – was virtually invisible.

Another man was hyper-visible.

In such cases as this, both paths led to disaster.

 11/30/15

© ’15 maj