Friday, March 25, 2016

All Lives Matter, Even the Lives of Criminals

   I read a guest column in the Deseret News, titled, "My view: Amidst Rio Grande shooting investigation, police should be commended."  A man was shot by police, and a riot broke out in response. The column praises the police for how they handled the affair.
   While I do not know whether the police should be praised for the overall event, the riot, it seems a little much to praise them for the shooting of Abdi Mohamed.  Almost taking the life of a person -- even a criminal -- is not something we should be quick to praise. I also reflect on one of the online comments to the article, it saying the officers' concern is not for the safety of the perpetrator, but rather for the victim. That is a common sentiment, spoken so often it undoubtedly does carry into how officers respond to such situations. I see a slippery slope in such thinking. It can lead to dismissing the lives and safety of some. I think we should want to be careful against thinking anyone's life does not matter. I think of the popular expression, "All lives matter," and I believe it. All lives matter, even the lives of criminals.

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