The Sean Bell Case
Friday, April 25th, 2008
The second thing that crossed my mind upon hearing the verdict that was handed down in the Sean Bell case–the first had been simple disbelief–was a song lyric from the Clash:
You have the right not to be killed
Murder is a crime
Unless it was done by a policeman
Different lessons seem to have been drawn on both sides of the case. Black men have been reminded that it’s dangerous to leave their homes with their keys, wallets, or even candy bars (each of the preceding has resulted in the shooting death of a black man at the hands of the police)–to say nothing of their skin. The NYPD, on the other hand, has been reminded that for all intents and purposes, they have carte blance to use whatever degree of force they see fit, whether or not it’s proportionate to the threat–real or perceived–posed by their targets. (more…)