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10 Thoughts on the Killing of Ahmaud Arbery

After watching (and rewatching) the video showing the terrible death of Ahmaud Arbery, here are my initial thoughts.

1) The video isn't as clear as people are saying it is.  The video really only captures the last moments of the situation.  What we do know is that two men made decisions that resulted in the death of another man.  They should stand trial and be punished accordingly.  Right or wrong, I suspect that they will be convicted of manslaughter.

2) We can't read hearts or minds.  We do not know what their precise motivation was.  It is unlikely, however, that they randomly decided to murder a jogger because he was black.

3) It is likely that Mr. Arbery's skin color contributed to his death and the lack of charges brought against his killers.

4) Racism exists, but not all white people are racists, nor is every crime committed against a black person racially motivated.  We need to let this case be its own case.  

5) As a white man in America, it is difficult for me to understand the fear in which black men live.  

6) We need to beware of tribalism.    

7) We should examine our gut reactions.  What is our first instinct?  Do we assume that the white people are guilty?  Do we assume that they are innocent?  What does that say about us?

8) Virtue signaling is ugly and nobody really cares what you (or I) think.

9) If the 21st century has taught us anything, it's that we should always wait to cast judgment, even when an event was captured on video.  There is always more to the story.

10) We must never skip the trial.  If we presume guilt without due process, we are no better than the white men who allegedly profiled the black man jogging past their house.

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