Source: NewsOne composite / NewsOne composite
The Amber Guyger case sparked major controversy after former Dallas officer received 10 years for killing Botham Jean— an unarmed black man shot while in his apartment.
Related: Amber Guyger Said She Was Racist And It Wasn’t Allowed In The Trial
Guyger claimed she shot Jean because she had mistaken his apartment for her own and thought he was an intruder.
As if Guyger receiving a light sentence wasn’t enough, Black America cringed when African American Judge Tammy Kemp consoled the convicted felon after the verdict of her hearing.
Despite receiving much backlash for her actions, Kemp— who was previously endorsed by the Dallas Police Association— recently released a statement standing by her decision.
Kemp told the Associated Press, “I came down to extend my condolences to the Jean family and to encourage Ms. Guyger because she has a lot of life to live.”
While Guyger may have the rest of her life to learn from her mistakes at the hands of a compassionate and forgiving America, Jean sadly does not.
The mother of the 26-year-old Big Four accountant, says she became furious after listening to Guyger’s 911call because she could not hear anyone helping her son while he fought for his life on his apartment floor.
So how is it that America’s judicial system has more compassion for murders than those who have fallen at the hands of them?
Sadly, the devaluation of African Americans has a long brutal history that America knows too well.
Ex-Georgia officer — Zechariah Presley was acquitted after shooting and killing Tony Green during a routine traffic stop.
The list goes of African Americans slain by police officers goes on to include Emmette Till, Michael Brown, Tamar Rice, Sandra Bland, and many others.
On another hand, studies have proven that 50 percent of African American prisoners convicted of murder are more likely to be innocent than other convicted murderers and often spend longer sentences incarcerated before exoneration.
Cases like this prove that compassion and rehabilitation are privileges that come with the advantages of being white in America.
Judge Hugging Amber Guyger Illustrates The Privilege of Being White In American was originally published on rnbphilly.com
