Pain, Protests and Prejudice

By Dr. Lynn Webster, PNN Columnist

The Salt Lake Tribune recently published a story that distressed me. It said that Scott Senjo, a criminal justice associate professor at Weber State University in Utah, tweeted threats at people who were peacefully protesting the alleged murder of George Floyd.

Senjo’s incendiary comments are hard to accept, particularly in light of the criminal charges filed against the four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s death. The peaceful protestors that he threatened in his tweets were innocent of any crime.

Senjo was placed on probation and then resigned. He has since apologized for his tweets. But apologies don't correct the harm he intended.

People in pain can probably relate very personally to current events. They have been protesting online and in peaceful demonstrations for years about poor treatment and restricted access to pain medication, but their voices haven't been heard. Their suffering hasn't been sufficiently acknowledged or addressed. Their frustration and anger are similar in many ways to the feelings of those who are protesting George Floyd's death.  

Our First Amendment Right to Protest

Amazingly, peaceful protests can trigger anger in some people. Like Senjo, they are sometimes willing to suggest harming or even killing protestors.

It is even worse when political leaders specifically suggest using military force to "dominate" protestors. These perverted, authoritarian attitudes are attempts to deny Americans their First Amendment right to peacefully "assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

George Floyd's death from asphyxiation by police officers lit a match to a tinder box of anger and frustration built up over centuries. The outrage has become national, and even international, in scope.

At the outset, the protests focused on anger about the injustice and police brutality levied against people of color. As the peaceful protests intensified, however, the actions became diffused by people who were committing acts of violence and unlawfulness. Some engaged in looting, arson and other crimes. These destructive actions nearly drowned out the voices of peaceful protesters who were trying to be heard.

Even Nonviolent Protestors May Be Demonized

Critics such as Scott Senjo may draw no distinction between the two groups, and may simply think of all protestors as criminals, radicals and revolutionaries. For some, it may not matter whether protests are peaceful or not -- anyone who opposes authority, in their opinion, should be met with a heavy-handed response.

You may remember the story of Francine Hughes, who stood trial for murdering her husband as he slept. The book and movie based on her experiences are called The Burning Bed. Hughes suffered years of domestic abuse, and the police refused to help her. Finally, she felt her survival depended on ending her abuser's life. Her violent protest of the brutality she suffered was wrong, but it was understandable. Outrage at oppression and the will to survive can elicit primal behaviors.

Today’s protestors are reacting to oppression, injustice, violence and racism that have never been adequately addressed. We, as a society, have continued to tolerate a criminal justice system that subjugates those who often lack the resources to defend themselves. It is easy to point fingers at abusive members of law enforcement without questioning how we, ourselves, contribute to the situation with our own behaviors.

It is a fallacy to think that even peaceful protests by people of color are accepted. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police violence and social injustice. President Trump deemed his action to be disrespectful to our flag and heritage, and suggested that the NFL fire anyone who kneels during the national anthem.

Many Americans applauded President Trump's remarks. Indeed, Kaepernick apparently was blackballed from the NFL after his peaceful protest, and his football career effectively ended.

Peaceful protests of police brutality are, metaphorically, another form of kneeling during the national anthem. It is not disrespectful to kneel in protest, and it is not wrong to ask that those in power treat all people with dignity and respect. On the contrary: peaceful protesting shows respect for our flag and our First Amendment rights.

An Example of How We Can Heal

I want to close by sharing an example of the Randolph, Massachusetts Police Department. The photo below was taken a few minutes after a planned protest was scheduled to begin.

The protest in Randolph that day was peaceful. Perhaps that is at least partly because of how members of the police force greeted the protestors.

The Randolph Police Department evidently trusted that anyone who participated in a protest would do so in a spirit of peace and respect, and they felt a responsibility to respond in kind. They also wanted to demonstrate their solidarity with a statement made by Randolph Chief of Police William Pace:

“The Randolph Police Department will always be committed to providing the best possible service to the community in a dignified and equitable fashion. Officers are trained to approach every situation with respect, compassion and fairness, and these are all traits that were not present in the treatment of George Floyd.”

Thank you, Chief Pace, and your police force, for your service and your compassion. This is where our country's healing begins.

Lynn R. Webster, MD, is a vice president of scientific affairs for PRA Health Sciences and consults with the pharmaceutical industry. He is author of the award-winning book, “The Painful Truth,” and co-producer of the documentary, “It Hurts Until You Die.” You can find Lynn on Twitter: @LynnRWebsterMD