‘Black people in Lima [Ohio], from the poorest citizens to religious and business leaders, complain that rogue police officers regularly stop them without cause, point guns in their faces, curse them and physically abuse them. They say the shooting of Ms. [Tamika] Wilson is only the latest example of a long-running pattern of a few white police officers treating African-Americans as people to be feared.’
Full story in today’s New York Times.
[I was especially struck by the image of a makeshift sign that residents had posted on the door of the victim's house]
Advertisement
In the news this morning from Johannesburg – police castigated by the Methodist Bishop of Johannesburg for using excessive force to round up a group of illegal aliens – Zimbabweans, Malawians and others looking for work in South Africa – seeking shelter in the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg. Ten years ago this would have been largely white police conducting the raid but police demographics have changed in the last ten years. A pressing issue, to which this incident would add tension, is the treatment of foreigners (mostly from other African countries) in South Africa. There are regular reports of victimisation of immigrants from countries like Somalia who have set up as informal traders in the cities of South Africa and thus are seen to pose am economic threat to locals. Foreigners are also frequently blamed for the high crime rate in the country.