Wisconsin Joins The Police Brutality Hall Of Shame

     Although systemic racism and police brutality are pervasive problems, there are places that have earned infamy for their particularly-high-profile cases and sometimes even high numbers of high-profile cases. The examples are numerous and varied. Tamir Rice, Timothy Russell, and John Crawford were murdered in Ohio; Andy Lopez, Alfred Olango, and Ezell Ford in California; Walter Scott in South Carolina; Breonna Taylor in Kentucky; Philando Castile and George Floyd in Minnesota; Atatiana Jefferson and Botham Jean in Texas; and countless others.

     Now, Wisconsin joins the Police Brutality Hall of Shame. Back in 2015, Tony Robinson was murdered by Madison police officer Matthew Kenny, who had previously murdered another man on his own front porch. In neither of the cases was the waste of human flesh prosecuted. Tony Robinson's case came in the wake of many other incidents, and, while locally a large story, it never gained the coverage of cases like Michael Brown or George Floyd.

     An even more heinous case has occurred in Kenosha, between Milwaukee and the Illinois border. It is a city that I have been to and am familiar with. Jacob Blake was attempting to diffuse (police should learn that word) a situation between several women. His three children were in the back seat, and, as the police arrived, he opened his door to check on them. He alledgedly struggled with the police when they tazed him. My issue is this: if police officers are not expected to control their reactions with training, why must untrained citizens do so looking down the barrel of a gun, and why does the party that claims to support individual liberty support this? Blake was shot 4 times in the back entering his vehicle, and police justified their shooting by claiming they found a knife in his car (I don't know anyone in the state who doesn't).

     People have tried to portray the rioting that has ensued as the majority of what is occurring, while that is false, and the Blue Lives Matter movement now takes the cake for the most deaths caused during this tension. A 17-year-old police supporter named Kyle Rittenhouse murdered two peaceful protestors and then fled the state. He has been charged with two counts of murder as an adult and will likely face hate crime charges and flight charges at the federal level. Certainly, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

     However, the reaction has instilled some pride in my state. The Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks have postponed games in protest, Attorney General Josh Kaul has launched investigations into the actions of the officers, and Governor Tony Evers has called for a special legislative session to address police brutality in the state.

     Luckily, Jacob Blake survives. He may, however, have to spend the rest of his life unable to walk. His voice could prove to be a powerful one in the continuing fight for racial justice, but it shouldn't the voices of angels for our words to be heard.