Though it’s unclear when, Baton Rouge will soon face what will become a pivotal moment in its history, writes Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel in her latest column.
“The moment will come when the U.S. Justice Department releases the results of its investigation into the July 5, 2016, fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge police, and recommends whether to charge the two officers involved in the shooting with civil rights violations,” Riegel writes. “Most of the money at this point is betting that the Justice Department will come down on the side of the officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II. More often than not, that’s how these things end up.”
Whatever the outcome, there will likely be an outcry one way or the other, Riegel says.
“There have been concerted and heartfelt efforts to prepare for this moment by trying to bring the community together through ‘conversations’ and ‘dialogues,’” she notes. “We’ve all spoken and written of the need for these symbolic, public kumbayas. We take it as a given that this is the first step toward addressing the racial issues that are at the heart of the problem and toward healing.”
Though well-intended, Riegel says these community conversations often have one permissible narrative, namely that police unfairly target black men because officers are poorly trained and racially biased, which is indicative of the greater prejudice that exists within society as a whole.
“It is a powerful narrative and there are, without question, many elements of truth to it. It is a problem, and one that has been widely acknowledged,” she writes. “But that’s not the entire story, and in these community conversations and dialogues there are all sorts of issues and subjects that are not acceptable to bring up.”
Riegel says it’s only considered a “conversation” if it falls within the parameter of the popular narrative, which is then perpetuated by traditional and social media.
“The result is a lot of talk and a lot of self-congratulatory rhetoric from those who brought everyone to the proverbial table, but not a lot of substantive action,” she writes. “How will we accomplish real change if we have to walk on eggshells and dance around subjects that need to be discussed?”
Read the full column. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
