Help me understand something, Why is the reaction to police shootings in America to rob a Foot Locker?
We are once again seeing violence and looting in this country after another deadly police shooting. This time it’s in Philadelphia.
The facts are not in dispute:
On Monday, Philadelphia Police responded to 27-year-old Watler Wallce Jr.’s home.
He was armed with a knife and clearly agitated. His family said he was in a mental health crisis. They claim officers were at the house three times that day.
There is video of what happened next.
You see Wallace follow police officers around the car. They are backing up, he is coming at them with a knife in his hand. They tell him to drop the knife. He doesn’t. Once they make a full circle around the car, and Wallace continues to advance on them, the officers open fire. Wallace is killed.
The video clearly shows officers try and back away. The video clearly shows Wallace continue to pursue them. The video clearly shows officers fire.
The video shows a tragedy. So how is the next reaction to steal?
There is always a conversation to have about mental health in this country. There is always a conversation to have about police officers and the relationships they have with the community. But it is impossible to have that conversation while people are looting a Five Below.
The violence in Philadelphia has led to almost a dozen other people being shot.
Fox 29 reporter Steve Keeley was filming the scene outside one looted business when Philadelphia police told him “Looters were shooting looters.” Police also told the reporter that a 50-year-old man who had filled up his car with stolen goods was then carjacked and had all the stolen items stolen from him. In the midst of all this, 11 people were shot.
“11 people shot while looting in Philadelphia so far since last night. ‘Looters were shooting looters.’ ‘50 yr old man that had his car filled then was carjacked and had all his stolem stiff re-stolen from him’from @PhillyPolice on scene of looting tell FOX 29. @FOX29philly,” Keeley tweeted
At least 30 police officers have been hurt as well. One was taken to the hospital with a broken leg after someone ran them down with a truck.
Again, this is the reaction to Wallace’s shooting? Steal, burn, shoot, and try and kill cops?
It almost seems as if this has nothing to do with police shootings at all.
The rule of law is what separates us from the barbarians. But the social contract is supposed to hold us together as well. In all of the divisiveness that we’ve seen over the past four years, and the past 20 before that, we have walked away from the idea of being good people and good neighbors. We have turned against each other. It is us vs them all the time. Take from ‘them’ while we can. Burn down ‘their’ stuff as quickly as possible. Fatten my pockets or get me a new TV before anyone wises-up and puts a stop to it.
If your reaction to the next police shooting is to go and steal a washing machine, there is something wrong with you. Not something wrong with police in this country.
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