When I first read Francesca Hong's reaction to the Corey Ruiz killing, I cringed.
I reacted to the use of the word execution.
I wanted to come at this from an even-handed perspective. We need police officers; many of them do good work.
I wanted to talk about free will. We do have some, but it's not unlimited. Studies show our brains activating before we even know we made a decision.
I wanted to talk about how once a decision is made and an action is started, it can be hard to stop. By the time the taser was fired, there was no stopping the officer who already decided to fire.
I wanted to talk about how being first person changes everything. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
I wanted to talk about how police officers see a lot of the worst of society, and how it’s hard to do that work without getting stained, without picking up some trauma of your own.
I wanted to talk about how every police officer I’ve ever met was a decent person, as far as I knew. But my experience is mine, not everyone else's, and baby, it’s a wide world.
There is truth in all of that, but I don't know how much any of it applies in this case. Plus all of it combined doesn't excuse Corey Ruiz's killing. Tragically, what is likely to excuse it is our nation's minimalist standard for use of deadly force and lack of accountability.
Anyone seeing that video can see it didn't have to happen like that. Anyone who's paid attention to how policing happens in our communities, especially to people of color, knows this is a persistent trend. A man died because maybe he tried to steal a bike or break into some cars?
All of this led me to realize the real reason I cringed wasn't that she used the word; it was that she called out the truth of the matter. I didn't disagree on substance; I disagreed on style, and I was wrong.
We need leaders with the moral clarity to call balls and strikes on issues and policy. Then show up with people to provide support.
I look at statements from other politicians; they're safe. Given an opportunity to lead, their message is thoughts and prayers. We're with you in your pain, but there isn't much to do about it.
If we can't acknowledge a problem, we can't fix it. I prefer politicians who aren't too concerned with electability to lead with conviction.