Ball lawsuit
So, the family of Ricky Ball is planning to sue Columbus for the death of their loved one. I hope cooler, saner heads prevail. If Ball would have not run from the police, if he would have not hidden from them, he would be alive today. He brought the whole thing upon himself. Ever since Ferguson, Missouri, people have reacted negatively to shootings involving white police officers and (often) young black men, long before any facts are known, let alone the truth.
I’m not saying this incident and others could have been handled differently and better, but I am saying that despite any perceived racial animosity by police towards black people, being mature and responsible is a lot better than running away. Have a clean record and the police will have no reason to treat you any differently than everybody else.
Remedying the situation won’t happen overnight. It will take generations, but black people have got to stop breaking laws as much as they do. It wouldn’t hurt whites to do the same thing. Get a good education, a good job, exercise good work ethics, keep your nose clean and eventually the stigma of being painted with the “bad” brush will go away. Laws and lawsuits will not accomplish that, only a fundamental change in the family/neighborhood/community will do that. There’s no better time to get started than now.
Cameron Triplett
Brooksville
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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