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The Eric Garner decision and #CrimingWhileWhite

In light of the decision not to indict the officer who killed Eric Garner, angry folks are taking to Twitter to vent--and to listen.
The Eric Garner decision and #CrimingWhileWhite
Protest in NYC, Dec. 3, 2014 | Photo by Dave Bledsoe via Flickr (http://bit.ly/1vlp5Bs)
Laura Turner

On the heels of the Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, a grand jury in New York has decided that no charges will be filed against Officer Daniel Pantaleo. Back in July, Pantaleo used a chokehold (a banned technique) on Staten Island father of six Eric Garner, who was suspected of selling untaxed cigarettes. Garner died shortly after he was forced to the ground and arrested, all the while telling the officers around him, “I can’t breathe.”

Protest in NYC, Dec. 3, 2014 | Photo by Dave Bledsoe via Flickr (http://bit.ly/1vlp5Bs)

Protest in NYC, Dec. 3, 2014 | Photo by Dave Bledsoe via Flickr (http://bit.ly/1vlp5Bs)


Some people say he said it nine times; some eleven. “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” How many times did an officer need to hear that before he loosened up on the chokehold? How many black men will die at the hands of those who are supposed to be there to protect them?

Social media has been the dinner table where we’ve all gathered in the last ten days, trying to make sense of grand juries that don’t do justice and prosecutors who don’t ask for it. With Garner’s arrest and the chokehold on video, the voices of confusion and anger have been louder than ever. What more could a jury require than the ability to be right there, at the scene of Garner’s downfall, Pantaleo’s arm locked around Garner’s neck, even when Garner was lying facedown on the ground?

One enlightening thread of conversation to follow tonight has been people tweeting with the hashtag #CrimingWhileWhite. White people are writing about times they committed crimes and received no or very light punishment from cops. To wit:

We hear people say things like, “It’s not about race, it’s about crime.” And sometimes, many times, that’s true. But that doesn’t give us an excuse to turn a blind eye to when race is clearly a motivating factor for state-sanctioned crime. It means that, as white people, we need to listen to our black brothers and sisters. It means that we don’t automatically believe everyone in law enforcement just because they have treated us well. It means that we need, for now, to mourn with those who mourn. There will be time still to light the Christmas trees.

One of the best things about social media is that it gives us the chance to listen in on conversations we never could have otherwise heard. So, if you have the time and the inclination, look at #CrimingWhileWhite.

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