WASHINGTON — Comments about recent events in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray provide a glimpse at perhaps one of our greatest challenges — perception.
In this case, as in too many others involving police, perception seems to be black and white.
“I think that if you look at what’s happened over the course of the last year, you just got to scratch your head,” said House Speaker John Boehner on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” referring to the rash of fatal incidents involving police officers and African-American males.
“I heard your call for ‘no justice, no peace,'” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to demonstrators in her city and around the country, as she announced the charges. To the youth of Baltimore, she declared, “Our time is now!” and urged peaceful demonstration.
Both comments made headlines. And both, though well intentioned, carried subliminal messages freighted with racial (not racist) undertones.