The Black Community Has the Right to Be Angry and the Right to Express That
Unfortunately, many of today’s elite don’t understand the anger and frustration that the Black community is feeling when countless Black men and women are being killed by police officers who are never then held accountable. That lack of understanding why the community is angry leads to negative, hurtful comments like the one from an anonymous Oscar voter who claimed “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts were offensive and suggested that the Selma cast was “stirring up s**t” for wearing them. FBI Director James Comey, on the other hand, wants people to understand the frustration and be free to express those frustrations in a positive manner. “Serious debates are taking place about how law enforcement personnel relate to the communities they serve, about the appropriate use of force, and about real and perceived biases, both within and outside law enforcement,” he said. “These are important debates. Every American should feel free to express an informed opinion — to protest peacefully, to convey frustrations and even anger in a constructive way.”
Discussing the History of Policing Is Key to Creating a Better Future
Comey said that it is key for police officers and other officials to recognize and remember what the Black community has been dealing with all throughout history. He explained that while some of today’s officers were not responsible for the disappointing realities of the past, they did inherit that history and it is still their responsibility to help change that perception of law enforcement by first understanding why it is there. After discussing the tough times his own Irish ancestors had in America, he reminded everyone that even that can’t compare to the oppression and abuse Black people have faced. “The Irish had tough times, but little compares to the experience on our soil of Black Americans,” he said. “That experience should be part of every American’s consciousness, and law enforcement’s role in that experience — including in recent times — must be remembered. It is our cultural inheritance.”
