Lack of Respect Isn't Just Rude, It's Deadly

While Ferguson braces for apocalyptic bedlam and the rest of the country grabs their popcorn to watch, a couple other cop-killing incidents were missed.  One of which involved yet another Midwestern city, another black teenager, and another quick trigger white cop; allegedly.  The scene is Cleveland, Ohio...where a 12 year-old boy was killed by a yet to be named Cleveland police officer who was responding to a phone report of a person pointing weapon at someone.  When the Cleveland PD arrived, the preliminary reports state that the boy didn't pull out and point the weapon at the two officers; but when he was told to raise his hands...he [allegedly] reached for the weapon tucked in his pants.  Black boy down.  For the sake of this work, let's assume the police reports are accurate.

But even if they're not true, high probability on this one being equally as hot as the Mike Brown shooting; which is still burning and could get hotter any minute.  We can line up all the seasonal activists and get our hashtags together; everyone with a soulful, heartfelt take on how that murdered 12 year-old could've been their son.  Well, here's a statement you won't hear:  "Not only was he pointing a gun a random people, but he didn't put his hands up when he was told to by a police officer.  It's not the cops, but the lack of respect is what killed him."

As a teacher my wife deals with children who don't have manners almost daily.  And in many cases it's clear they weren't even taught what the word manners means.  When either her or her colleagues reaches their wits end and implements some harsh discipline, those pajama-in-public wearing mothers fly up to the school with a fresh "not my baby" speech...filled with explicatives.  Even worse, the school administrators often criticize the teachers for not using other methods that are viewed as more appropriate discipline; a move that appeases the parents...but devalues the teachers.  Overall, a culture that allows for disrespect is promoted, up until we have a 12 year-old boy shot for simulating shooting other people.

The truth is many of us don't have a clue about what respect even looks like; and so we're raising children who don't either.  We claim to respect others but allow words that can be easily perceived as disrespectful to loosely fly out of our mouths.  We've determined that people who have achieved public notoriety are more worthy of respect than those we work with everyday.  We respect our church administrators with well-wishes and money while refusing to help fund our own spouses start up businesses.  We've tailored respect to be a self-approving mechanism that gives honor to who we deem as honorable; when we choose to honor them.  Yet we don't even respect that formula enough to know that it destroys marriages, families, and physical lives.  

Would a community approach on respect have kept Michael Brown alive?  Did a lack of respect persuade a 12 year-old to point a toy gun at other park goers?  Did it convince him to [allegedly] pull that same gun when asked to simply raise his hands?  These are all the questions that get ignored because we've wrapped ourselves so much in the tragic results.  See, although we flourish with excuses on why teachers, police, and other people of authority shouldn't do whatever after we've broken the rules or law; we're missing that displaying respect may prevent any negative (and sometimes deadly) occurrence.  We view respect as something that should be earned in the general sense.  And that sounds great on a football field, but in reality...respect...whether earned or not...has serious consequences if it's not appropriately displayed or given.  As we all know....and should've for some time now....a lack of respect can kill.

I guess all this having respect talk is irrelevant now, though.  People want answers.  People always want answers....always wanna point fingers...always wanna claim victim.  Officer Wilson should be indicted.  Ask yourself this though, are you teaching your children to respect the police, to respect other peoples property, their bodies, their feelings?  If not, maybe you're more prepared to protest their untimely demise...then celebrate their ongoing life.

 Peace