On My Soapbox: Reactions reflect inequality

Be prepared for more Black Lives Matter movements, flag confrontation, more social media arguments and possibly a heightened sense of racism in the next few weeks.

This will all come from the sentencing of Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer who shot and killed Botham Jean in his apartment. Guyger testified that she thought she was going into her apartment and that Jean was an intruder in her home.

Guyger was found guilty of murder but was only sentenced to 10 years. Many people believe she will be up for parole in five years.

Let me say first that I do not agree with the sentencing. Not because this was an officer, because of her ethnicity or gender, but because she took an innocent man’s life because she was not aware of her surroundings.

I have already seen plenty of comments about the 10-year sentence. Plenty of people have screamed “white privilege,” and compared this case to those of African Americans with lesser charges who received more time.

Is this what Collin Kaepernick took a knee for? Some people will say yes.

Is this type of outcome what caused the Black Lives Matter movement? I think so, but there were things that happened along the way that made the movement lose its focus.

If the roles were reversed, the Blue Lives Matter would start back up and attack the Black Live Matter movement, similar to the way it did before.

I read a quote once, “If you support Blue Lives Matter then you understand Black Lives Matter and you’re just being an [censored].”

It’s not that only black lives matter, it’s that when situations where African Americans like this happen it can seem that black lives are valued less.

You can go pretty much anywhere in the nation right now and hear, “if this was a black male officer that killed a white woman, he would have been in jail for life already.”

Is that true?

Hopefully we will never be in a situation to find out.

I don’t want to hear anybody try to compare this to black on black crime, which many people will do, because there are too many opposing factors. If a black man walks into an apartment by accident and kills another black man eating ice cream, he will go to jail, probably for life.

So, I guess my point is, this is the world we live in. When something happens, there are protest and people trying to bring awareness to injustices. Not everyone will agree, and tensions will become heighten.

Kneeling for the National Anthem, Black Lives Matter, peacefully or violently protesting are all reactions of situations that reflect inequality. Ten years for murdering an innocent man in his own apartment, regardless of the parties involved ethnicity, the jury got this wrong.

I’m going to get off my soapbox now and go watch Sul Ross play Southwestern University in Georgetown. Hopefully they can get another win this week.

“Inequality is a poison that is destroying livelihoods, stripping families of dignity, and splitting communities.”

- Sharan Burrow

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