An Update on the Quest for Justice

Well, I said I'd update with news and images if situations presented themselves, but things have been oddly quiet since the mayhem of the other night, on account of the city's response being swift and appropriate. The people were heard; the violence has ceased; the authorities have made the first step in doing the right thing. If that's not news, I don't know what is. The BART authorities have publicly apologized and the Oakland PD have now opened up the shooting as an external, criminal investigation, instead of permitting the BART authorities the opacity they are so used to enjoying. I'd make a wager that the officer involved will not walk away without an involuntary manslaughter-criminal negligence charge, as it should be. The authorities are also seriously considering developing a community oversight committee which would be lead by members of the public to be a much-needed check on the historically trigger-happy group of bullies that are the BART police.

All of this positive response begs the question, would it have happened without the violence? Would the movement have been taken seriously if they had merely stood at the BART stations handing out fliers, blocking the entrances and singing Kum-bi-ya? Sadly, I doubt it. The violence against private citizens and the damage to local businesses has been roundly decried by both the community and the original rally organizers. I wonder, though, if the city's unexpectedly swift, appropriate response is evident of a real change of heart, or rather a knee jerk move to shut everyone up and prevent a second wave of chaos, a move that just so happened to be the right thing.

As unfortunate as the violence truly was, I think that it ended up being necessary for justice to be served and accountability to be shown on the part of the BART authorities. Without the fear of further political and social unrest, I believe the movement would have gone the way of the Berkeley tree sitters: irritating, but ultimately unheard. The peaceful protests, nonviolent dissent, and sit-ins of the civil rights movement don't do jack squat in our society anymore, and that's a real shame. That speaks to the deep lack of respect our government has for its people. Our traditional lack of long-term memory as a culture has convinced our overlords that if they ignore us, our passion will fizzle out and we will go away. Our apathy has proven to them that they don't need to listen to us unless we're really going to mess things up. They can ignorance a nuisance; they can't ignore a riot, which means it takes nothing short of a riot to be taken seriously these days. What a sad, sad state of affairs.

We hope for peace in Gaza, at the same time we responded to violence on our country with magnitudes more intense violence on Afghanistan and Iraq. Our mouths say, "Live and let live," while we support widescale displacement of peoples in Gaza. We try to teach our kids that violence and fighting don't solve anything, but the overwhelming message sent by the authorities' response to calls for peace and transparency are deaf ears and blind eyes. Would we hear the plight of the Palestinians without Hamas' mortars? Would there be a criminal investigation into the shooting of Oscar Grant without Wednesday night's riot?

I think you know the answer.