THEREMARKER REMARKER• NOVEMBER • SEPTEMBER 2019 THE 15,21, 2019
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OPINIONS
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Students express opinions, viewpoints on Dallas’ most-talked about trial in decades Amber Guyger’s trial in the killing of Botham Jean elicited extreme passion and emotion on both sides. She was ultimately found guilty of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. ReMarker writers give their opinions on this case, which has drawn national and international attention:
SeMaj Musco
A
reporter
‘The exchange...threw my emotions for a loop’
t 11:34 I re-read the news notification staring at me from my screen and sent a text to my parents. I never thought we would see the day. From Sept. 23 to Oct. 2 the eyes of the nation and the world were on Dallas as the murder trial of Amber Guyger took place. Another instance of an Anglo law enforcement agent taking the life of an unarmed African-American. When I found out the verdict the jury had returned was murder I was genuinely shocked. The first thing I did was send a text to my parents to find out if they had seen the news. I, along with many others, rejoiced that a court had finally said that a black life, no a black death, mattered. Although 10 years seemed like a light sentence to me, the sentence appeared to be a breakthrough. For a white police officer to be sentenced for the killing of an unarmed African-American, for the time being, gives the impression of a breakthrough, especially after all the heartbreak with the results of other cases. When the trial started, I wanted Guyger to receive a murder charge and the harshest possible sentencing under the law but was extremely skeptical that she would. Over the past couple of years, there have been so many cases of police getting away with the killings of unarmed black citizens. Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Willie McCoy will never see their families again while the men that killed them are at home with theirs. With that precedent, I believed the same would happen this time. When I first heard of the shooting I honestly was taken aback. Unfortunately, I had gotten used to hearing about police shootings of African-Americans and was never shocked when it happened but in Botham-Jean’s own home? While eating ice cream? The shooting happening in Dallas made it so much more personal. I’ve driven by the very apartments the shooting occurred before and never would have imagined something like that would happen. Every time something like this happens it brings back up a lot of the fear and anger
Other staff members have their say... A ‘milestone’ in prosecution
I think the Amber Guyger case, even with all its unorthodoxies, is a milestone in the prosecution of officers in police shootings. Rare are the police shooting cases where the police officer is put on trial, rarer still are the cases where the police officer is convicted. Although I truly believe that Amber Guyger is genuinely regretful and sorry for her actions, she had to be punished in some way for taking a Botham Jean’s life. Although I completely understand the argument for harsher punishment, I believe that this 10-year sentence served sufficient justice, and the possible precedent this case set will have an interesting effect on future police shootings trials that must be observed carefully. — Axel Icazbalceta, reporter
I have when it comes to dealing with law enforcement. It happening in Dallas made it hit a lot closer to home. Seeing black people, especially teenage boys and young men, getting killed by police officers hurts and makes me fearful when I or my family members have to have interactions with law enforcement. This fear is especially strong because I’ve just received my permit and will begin to drive myself and my friends soon. I worry about being stopped by officers and that even if I do everything I have been told by my parents and law enforcement officers they will see my skin color and fear me. I’m terrified that their fear could turn a simple interaction into something worse. Something fatal. Not knowing how those interactions could possibly go puts a fear inside of me of the very people that pledge to protect me. The exchange between Brandt Jean and Amber Guyger threw my emotions for a loop. The forgiveness aspect of it amazed me. The fact that he was able to forgive the person who took the life of his brother is amazing and something I would have a lot of trouble to do even with time. The Christian and humanistic side of me took that as an example of what I should aspire to be like. The black experience, pain, and history in me felt exasperated, however. A quote from Guyger’s defense attorney Toby Shook and similar sentiments are what angered me the most. “I hope that people who were upset by the verdict will follow his example,” Shook said. The Root journalist Anne Branigin summed up the way I feel better than I can myself. “It [forgiveness] shouldn’t invalidate the value and necessity of black rage. It shouldn’t be taken as representative of what an entire race of people feels or ought to feel,” Branigin said. Saying that people who were angry about the verdict should feel the same way as Brandt felt like an invalidation of what I really wanted. Justice.
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There would never be a victor
The situation sounded all too familiar at the start because it was police violence on a black victim. But what made it so different was how the two sides felt by the end of the trial. Early on, it was clear there would never be a victor, and — in a world dividing itself more and more — the scenes in the aftermath of the sentencing were one of those increasingly rare moments of empathy and forgiveness. Regardless of your opinions about the case, the people or the verdict, that’s undeniable. — Sid Sinha, 10600 editor
Forgiveness
While the Amber Guyger trial was an inspiring display of forgiveness and a huge step towards justice from police shootings, I still feel that 10 years for murder is too light a sentence for the gravity of her actions. Even though the trial symbolized a huge step towards justice, as many many police officers responsible for shootings are never prosecuted nor sentenced, her sentence does
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American justice is based on the tenets outlined in the Declaration of Independence—the idea that all men are created equal. That includes equality under the eyes of the law. This was a murder case—and the punishment for murder should be just about equally stringent, regardless of the perpetrator or confusion of the incident. Amber Guyger shot and killed an innocent man in his own home. The personal forgiveness afforded to Guyger by members of the Jean family is remarkable and graceful and powerful—but the legal response should not be similarly lenient. — Sam Goldfarb, senior editor-at-large
A certain feeling of sympathy
Outrage. That was my first reaction when I heard about what transpired in Botham Jean’s apartment on the night of Sep. 6, 2018. Despite my strong feelings, I could only barely imagine the pain, the anguish, the anger the family members of the victim were feeling. I didn’t think I could begin to feel sorry for Amber Guyger, but watching her trial was so hard. Seeing her break down in court and realizing the full extent of her suffering brought out a certain feeling of sympathy. The trial made me question what right I had to judge this person, when the brother of the victim decided to forgive her in front of the whole world. I still believe the jury made the right decision, but the right decision isn’t always the easy decision. — Sid Vattamreddy, managing editor
Students and faculty answer our questions
What do you think about the efforts toward the impeachment of President Trump? If he did break laws then it’s all right to do that, and there has to be a lot of decisions to make.
Its finally time for I think where he does need to be responsible for some of the more egregious stuff he’s done in office.
Jack McCutchan Senior I think they have a right to do that. I don’t believe that is the thing we should be focusing on.
Alex Loftus Senior
CARTOON James Shiao
Remarkable and graceful...’
Around the Quad
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Rahul Banerjee Junior
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not feel long enough. Compared to others guilty of murder, such as Tay K, who was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison as a result of crimes he committed at 16, the punishments are far too inconsistent. — Jonathan Yin, reporter
I think the house has every right to do what they are doing right now.
David Fisher History instructor
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I think that there is something that needs to be addressed whether he’s guilty or not.
Mark Adame Thomas S. Adams Master Teacher
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I think it makes sense that he should be impeached.
Odran Fitzgerald Senior