An act of police brutality or self defense? The shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott on Tuesday has caused protests of racial injustice, some peaceful but many extreme, including riots and destruction of our beloved city.
The youth of Charlotte have lived through an important piece of history this week. The HGC community, a very diverse group with nearly a third African American, is affected in different ways, causing different opinions about the issue of racial injustice.
“What happened to ‘One Nation Under God’? We are certainly not representing that today. People are out there fighting for things our ancestors fought over, and that all ended for a reason. I feel as if we are stuck in this loop fighting these same battles time and time again. Who is winning if both sides are losing people? If the opposing side believes there has been a mistake made then we learn from it, not kill and riot over it. When a cop is killed by a civilian there are not riots in the street, there is only grief. Why should this be any different?” Junior Grayson Huneycutt said.
The Black Lives Matter movement has become very involved in the situation and passionate protesters have said that Keith Scott was wrongly victimized by the police.
“Why? Why is this going on? Why does racism exist? Why are people getting killed because of their skin color because the police ‘think they had a weapon’? If the police think the person has a weapon then they need to shoot the person in the leg or something. Just don't go straight for the kill,” Sophomore Ashley Jarrell said.
Others are defending the police officer that shot Scott, Brentley Vinson, saying that he was acting out of self defense and was not intending violence because of race.
“The police have claimed that Scott had [his] gun in hand, and that when instructed to put it down he would not. Therefore, feeling an immediate threat on his life, a black police officer shot and killed Scott. If you were in their shoes, and a man was pointing a gun at you, what would you do?” Sophomore Leighann Vinesett said.
“It was a black on black crime, race has nothing to do with it. If someone pointed a gun at you would you assume it's loaded or take the chance? The officer did what any of us would have done, it is human instinct to defend yourself. The man was told to put his weapon down and resisted. We all know what happens in that situation. I think black lives matter is a good cause to support, but it doesn't have anything to do with the current problem,” Huneycutt said.
For certain students, the statement ‘all lives matter’ is more important to say than ‘black lives matter’.
“These riots and people rebelling need to stop with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ idea and face the real truth, all lives matter!” Sophomore Rea Syska said.
However, many believe ‘Black lives matter’ doesn’t demote other races, but places a focus on certain people that have suffered due to racial injustices.
“To go out preaching ‘all lives matter’ is to look at your neighbor whose house is currently on fire and tell him you too have a struggle. We know you matter, it just isn't our main concern right now. If your goal is to win a war in conversation you're getting nowhere. Raise awareness, pass legislation, reach out to all people of all backgrounds and judge by character rather than a petty label. Stop taking sides and start making a difference to unify our people. We're all human, and we all deserve love,” Senior Nations Pressley said.
Students believe that it would be wiser for people to take a peaceful approach to solve their problems then to protest violently.
“Acts such as this and rioting do not help their point. When one looks back to activists such as MLK, it's easy to tell that they were trying to accomplish their agenda in a very peaceful way, and it worked,” Junior Sam Staples said.
“I have no problems with a peaceful protest, and I do think this deserves to be protested. But that does not mean that there should be riots. Innocent people have been hurt. People's businesses have been broken into and destroyed. This is not the protesting of a man's death, just pure lunacy. I just don't understand the meaning behind answering violence with violence and death with death,” anonymous sophomore said.
“These violent protests are not what the hashtag Black Lives Matter mean. We are taught ever since we are kids that violence is never the answer. Why do we keep choosing violence? As we can see with these protests many things are not being done to change this racial matter, so that means these violent protests aren't solving anything, but harming our own communities. Everyone is yelling at the same time, and no voice can be heard,” Sophomore Lauren Morissette said.
“The people still have a right to petition, and they have freedom of speech. Crowds have every right to gather at UNCC's student union and lay down, or to go to the site of Scott's death and assemble, but it is counterproductive to destroy and deface the city that they claim is being destroyed by ‘racial injustice’. It is making the city protesters look horrible on national news, and for unfounded reasons,” Vinesett said.
The severe riots and protests that broke out have become larger than Scott’s situation.
“It is no longer a matter of who was in the right and who was in the wrong, it is a matter of our community coming together and recognizing a problem within our country,” anonymous senior said.
Some large news media platforms have focused more on the negativity rather than the hope that can be seen.
“The media only shows us what [it] wants us to see, it’s not showing us the full stories of what is actually happening at the protests. They only show the negatives,” Sophomore Kylah Thompson said.
“The media subtly twists everything they share in an effort to push narratives and to promote their ideas. Many times they only show parts of the [videos] and stories, being especially careful to leave out any way that the victim was wrong in their actions. This has, ironically, reinforced my idea that police officers aren't hunting black people, like they present. By realizing how little fact is involved in the coverage I realize that, generally, nothing is ever as bad, cruel, or unjust as it seems,” Sophomore Stephen Adams said.
There are varying opinions about the actions that can be taken by the youth of our city. Some feel like they can’t do much, but others are trying to act promptly.
“All I feel like I can do is pray about the whole situation and I almost wish that I could do more, but I realize that prayer to an incredible God who can do incredible things by His will, will always be sufficient,” anonymous sophomore said.
“This is a cycle. It's been this way for a couple of years now. A black male gets shot by a police officer, people start protesting [and] rioting, the police officer doesn't get convicted then people start protesting again, then it blows over. But then the next month, or a couple weeks later, the same thing happens in another city or another state. So technically, no matter what we do, it's still going to happen,” Jarrell said.
“I plan to run a protest with a lot of teens from Instagram and friends from other schools,” Thompson said.
“I’m going to continue to reach out to people around me of all backgrounds to show that they are not alone in this,” Pressley said.
With the extreme state of the situation, it is evident that people are in need of the truth from the gospel. Prayer can be a powerful thing and that is what the city is in need of.
“I think the best thing for us to do in Charlotte is pray because there is really not a whole lot else that we can do that will actually stop the rioting,” Junior Hunter Cochrane said.
“Racial injustice is definitely here. No one can deny that. We never know what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. We can always say, ‘I understand what [you’re] going through’ but we don't. The truth is we never will fully understand what others are going through or what they experience. The best thing we can do is be there for them, pray for them, and always lend them a helping hand if they need it,” Morissette said.
“Prayer is the best option we have available to us. We need to pray for the safety of everyone involved and for peace to come to the nation as a whole. We should also be slow to judge others and lovingly accept them and their differing views on this highly controversial matter,” Adams said.
“I believe that the events that have transpired are completely unnecessary and that people now more than ever are lost, angry, confused and are in need of the gospel,” Senior Alec Parsons said.
The negativity of what has happened can be made for good, so it is important that Christians know about this issue and have a biblical response whenever the topic is brought up.
“We as Christians should be educated about the issues going on at the moment, so that whenever an opportunity arises to have a conversation pertaining to the issues at hand, we will have an appropriate and correct response to those issues. We need to pray for our city, to recognize the issues, to show love instead of hate, and to show empathy towards one another,” anonymous senior said.
“As Pastor Mike Powers said, ‘let us not waste suffering, but use it to further the cause of the Lord and bring many souls to him,’” Vinesett said.