This crazy dangerous brother opened fire inside a motel room in one of our most lovely areas to visit: Phoenix. The brother killed a man and wounded two women before shooting three more innocent people. The brother tried to show his tracking skills to elude police in an exhaustive chase (the police were the ones tired) that ended up with the brother being taken in alive.
We must praise the officers, because after the killing and shootings the police used a stun gun to subdue the brother, after locating him in a vacant condominium about four hours after the initial shootings. I guess after four hours the police thought he had calmed down and was worthy of a stun gun instead of being shot with a nine, 40, or 45 mm bullet.
Keep in mind that within these four hours the police believed this brother was armed, dangerous and responsible for all of the shootings mentioned. Perhaps the police exercised restraint because the brother killed one and wounded others because of an initial argument that started in a motel room, and all the other shootings must have been random.
Heck, after all of the brother’s actions, I am just trying to give the police praise for exercising good judgment. Not only did this dangerous brother get the taste of a stun gun instead of a bullet, but police led the brother out of the complex in a white full-body suit with others who were arrested — not shot by police — with his wrist shackled, and taken to a local hospital. See, how nice and respectful the police were to this brother? The Black Lives Matter folks should feel good about this one.
Showing the brother more love, the police refused to release his name, but it was the Arizona Republic newspaper that identified him as Ryan Elliot Giroux. Look readers, the brother, in addition to what is mentioned, not only shot at a man and two women, killing another, he used his tracking skills, ran to a nearby restaurant, and shot and carjacked a student’s car. Police records shows that he was in an altercation with police during a non-related matter and that during that confrontation he tried to pull a gun from under his shirt and was subdued again, without being shot.
Here we go. The man of this violent act is not Black. The man was White. Yes, White.
Now, I want you to read this column again knowing the man is White, not Black. I want you to read this column again knowing the man Ryan Elliot Giroux, as a member of skinhead and White supremacist groups, with his a**having served prison time for burglary, drug possession and aggravated assault.
As you read this column over, knowing these facts, ask some serious questions. If this man had been really a Black man, instead of a White man, would the outcome have been different?
Lucky Rosenbloom welcomes reader’s responses to 651-917-1720, or email him at l.rosenbloom@yahoo.com.
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lucky hit this article out of the park. If the perpetrator had been black he would be dead. the police would have killed him within a few seconds after they had located him. this shows the trust level of police officers of white perpetrators than black perpetrators. the white perpetrator was given a chance where a black perpetrators are not given a chance due to stereotypes that we have to live with from cradle to grave.
Brother Hightower is correct in his analyzes of the word gap. We as black parents need to read to our children when they are 1 year old to at least 10yrs old. We must participate in our children’s education from pre-kindergarten thru 12th grade. we as black men need to get more involved in our children’s lives. If we don’t who will. No one is going to care more about our children if we don’t. I’ll say it again no one is going to care about our children more than us. We can help our children by getting involved with their lives and teaching our children by reading to them and teaching them how to count at an early age. Get involve at your children’s schools. Go to teachers conference, its only 15-30 minutes, you do have time.Make this a priority for your children. We can overcome the word gap and the economic gap by helping our children become more prepared. there is nothing more important than are children. They are the future, yours and mine.
Lucky and Ken Booth are spot on. The blog beautifully raises the question of race based responses ( perspective of Black Lives Matter) and race based responses that we’re all attempting to wrap our heads around with a well told article that grabs you, keeps you, and then spins you around with the undeniable question and more likely conclusion. Let’s hope that a lot of people read it, share it, and that our officers and community take it to heart. Solutions are there. I feel optimistic. Let’s join in finding solutions. I’d like to hear more from Lucky and Ken about the composite of solutions they’d recommend and how I as a multi-ethnic (white appearing) teacher and mother on the east side of Saint Paul can work toward peace, the reduction of racism/stereotypes and partner with parents. Kudos to Mr. Booth for encouraging parents! #Black Lives Matter. # Lizz4Kids