Kane Watch: Kane Gets One (Mostly) Right

I'm still in shock from reading Kane's article today, "March against gangster wannabes, not the cops."

In it, Eugue Kane, THE Eugene Kane has this to say:

I don't want to see any marches for Joseph Evans unless members of the black community also march against the gangster wannabe who shot little Shauntae.

Enough is enough

It's a stance some readers will probably criticize; it may be the first time I've advocated non-action in response to a questionable police shooting.

So be it. My only explanation is, sometimes enough is enough. Better late than never.

I do understand why community activists march against police; sometimes police officers are easier targets for protest events.

Better late than never, for sure. My kudos to Mr. Kane for these comments.

Although he did throw in one shot by writing, "In Milwaukee, most inquests run by the district attorney's office end up exonerating the officer, no matter how questionable the circumstances."

However, I'd mostly like to keep the focus of this post on the call to responsibility Kane puts on his readers. It's a gutsy move, only because it's the right one, and I have respect for that.

His closing lines are some of the finest I've read:

But stacked against the toll of misery in some areas of black Milwaukee that continues unabated into 2006, it no longer makes sense to blame Milwaukee police officers for most of the violent death on our streets.

It makes even less sense to start marching against police brutality - again - in a time when the most brutal deaths in our city are seldom caused by cops.

Better we march on behalf of children like Shauntae, and be thankful this time that it won't be a march to the graveyard.

Mr. Kane, I couldn't have said it better myself. Right on.

I would like to point out that these statements seem to be a change of tune for Kane, but I'll leave commentary on the possible reasons behind this for another day...