The chosen current event is “Black Lives Matter rally: a unified message in Seattle.”
Link: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/black-lives-matter-demonstration-a-unified-message-in-seattle/
Summary of what happened and who it directly impacts
The event that took place in downtown Seattle attended by several hundred of people in support of the social justice movement of “Black lives matter.” They had previously participated in a rally at the Westlake Center before they proceeded with the peaceful march south down the second avenue. They marched all the way to Safeco field and back towards downtown carrying banners and placards. It helped them express their message and concern on the subject that has captured many of the news headlines in the recent past across the entire nation as well as the world about the killing of the black people, especially by the police. There was a heavy police presence at a distance that ensured safety and security to the population of the town as well as the participants of the event (demonstration). The event took place on the Saturday evening of 29th October 2016 (Seattle Times staff, 2016).
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The event directly impacts many people in the society. First, the police have been largely blamed for showing unprofessional conduct and bias in handling issues to do with black people and advocates of the social justice movements have described the police as ‘trigger hungry’ in killing black people. The crowd shouted “Hands Up! Don’t shoot!” to symbolize and indicate that even in the case where suspects have surrendered and are not a threat to the police lives, many of the police officers still go ahead and shoot killing in many cases innocent black people simply because of their race. Scholars in many incidences describe it as ‘racial profiling’ of the black people. The event, therefore, adds pressure to the many protests that have been done in the past in many places in the United States and the entire world and, hence, directly impacts the police action not only towards black people and suspects but also other races. It questions the professionalism of the police and training of the police force. Secondly, the event directly impacts the lives of the black people and the black race. The event raised awareness in the area of Seattle and gave the black people opportunity as well as people from other races that believe in the social justice movements and concerned about the matter an opportunity to express their views and stand in solidarity with the larger Black Lives Matter movement in the US and across the entire world. Lastly, the event directly impacts on the justice system and adds more pressure to address objectively the increasing cases and incidences involving the police and black people in the society.
Description of the timeline of events that led to the “Black Lives Mater rally: A unified message in Seattle.”
In the recent past, there is an increased outcry by civil society movements in the US and across the world about police brutality. Race relations are noted among a significant issue in the US society that has fuelled the recent outcry related to police brutality. The frequency of attack of Black people by the police led to the formation of the social justice movement of “Black Lives Matter” that has continued to condemn police killings of innocent black people and raises the issue in the society to enhance delivery of justice to the affected families and people. As a result, the movement has continued to grow and gain support from all sectors of the society including other races and condemn the brutal acts by the police of killing innocent black people. The event that took place at Seattle conforms to the many events that have happened in other places that and in solidarity with the social justice movements of “Blacks Lives Matter.” For example, in the year 2014, Brown, a black teenager was killed by Police in Fergusson that resulted in protests conducted nationally (Funke & Susman, 2016). The Blacks Lives Matter hence was formed from a hashtag in the social media that has continued to champion for the social justice including the event that happened in Seattle.
Such similar events of Black lives matter movements have been spotted in many places such as in the New York City and Philadelphia among others places (Logan, 2016). There are also claims that the number might be higher than it is reported as most of the incidences that have led to protests arise out of police actions that are fatal killing back people. However, the number of black people shot at by the police and injured but not killed has also increased and need to be addressed. However, from the year 2014 raised the turning point in the issue of police killing innocent black people. For example, the shooting of Michael Brown led to weeks of protests and riots in Fergusson and across the US. Ezell Ford shooting also led to series of protests in L.A County. Subsequent years including 2016 deaths that happened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where Alton Sterling was killed by police as well as Philando Castile near St. Paul, Minnesota that was caught on video (Logan, 2016). It further fueled protests across the Nation led by the social justice movement of “Black Lives Matter” that had similar event in Seattle.
Possible effects the event will have on those impacted (populations, individuals, governments)
The event that happened in Seattle led by the Black Lives Matter social justice movements would possibly bring change to the police force and the entire justice system. The movements have captured leading international media outlets that have covered such stories prompting a response from influential people about the issues including the president and other world leaders among others sin the political arena. The event has also shown the reality that exists as far as the challenge of race relation experiences in the US and the world as a whole. The police hence would likely take caution when handling and dealing with black people and possibly resort to other means of addressing the security threats and issues other than the use of excessive force and prioritizing the utilization of a gun because of the media attention that such protests have captured. The police by exercising caution in dealing with black people would probably reduce the number of death and fatal incidences reported in the media pitting the police against people of the black race. The black population or race in the US would feel slightly protected and respected by the police and help bring the change desired n the society that can improve the racial relations between and among the different races that exist in the society as well as an institution such as the police service. Such event also impacts the justice system, and it would make it expedite the cases and the legal issues that affect the subject. Many cases have been filed in the justice system with only a few conclusions on the many incidences that the affected either directly or indirectly seek for justice over the continued police actions against black people lives.
Prediction of what might happen in the future based on the above information
The incident has caught the desired attention to the extent many leaders including the presidents, lawmakers, and judiciary are talking about it and professional’s expert's opinions about the subject primarily relating to racial relations as experienced in the real status brought out. All the noted factors thus might h enable projection of the future about the issue and initiate changes. In the future, there is a possibility that the police training might change to include course offered to the police force about race and ethnic relations to help better they enhance their profession and eliminate the possible incidences such as racial profiling, stereotyping and discrimination as observed In the real society. It might help empower them with information that would make it difficult to for them to act on suspects based on their racial background and hence eliminate or reduce such kind of innocent killings of the black race as well as help them handle other similar incidences professionally.
There is also a possibility that if the murders continue the people of black races might retaliate and hence target the police force and it might further worsen the situation and causes more insecurity to the entire society because of the tensions that might exist between the people of the black race and the police force. The lawmakers might make also amend present laws or come up with new laws that would try to address the gaps that exist in the law that has made such cases difficult to execute justice to both the affected families as well as the police force and all the stakeholders involved. Such amendments or newer legislation might arise from existing case that makes many police officer involved in such killing of the innocent black people walk out of the justice system free and not broken any law. In the future, such killings might also affect the political processes. Whereby leaders who go for elective positions in the society have to state their stand on the subject. If they might contravene the expectations of such social justice movements such as the Black Lives Matter movement that organized the event in Seattle, there is a high probability that such leaders might not get political support from people of the black race and community. Also, those who believe in their quest for justice and an end to police brutality.
References
Funke, D. & Susman, T. (2016, July 12). From Ferguson to Baton Rouge: Deaths of black men and women at the hands of police. Los Angeles Times . Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-police-deaths-20160707-snap-htmlstory.html
Logan, N. (2016, July 7). How many black people have been killed by police in the U.S.? Depends who’s counting. Global News . Retrieved from http://globalnews.ca/news/2810639/how-many-black-people-have-been-killed-by-police-in-the-u-s-depends-whos-counting/
Seattle Times staff (2016, Oct 1). Black Lives Matter rally: a unified message in Seattle. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/black-lives-matter-demonstration-a-unified-message-in-seattle/
