It is unfortunate that some of us think it appropriate to protest when one of our own engages in a crime, gets caught and dies as a consequence of their behavior. Let us look at the case of
Corey Stingley
A police report points to the time when Stingley is seen in the video putting six small bottles of vodka in his backpack. The surveillance video shows Stingley being confronted by the clerk as he tried to pay for an energy drink. Stingley is seen reaching for his debit card and then running. In the upper part of the screen — you see a struggle as three men stop Stingley.
In response to his son's clear criminal activity, which in the past would be a point of deep shame, Corey's father says:
“My son was brutally murdered. This wasn’t restraint. This was murder,” Craig Stingley said Wednesday.
Stingley’s father says Stingley was actually trying to return merchandise at the store prior to the altercation.
“These men plotted to do something, and as a result, a young person’s life is gone,” Craig Stingley said.
No seriously. The video clearly shows Corey shoplifting. Clear as day. When caught Corey clearly tries to run away. Somehow his father sees Corey "trying to return merchandise"? Now we understand why Corey thought it was OK to steal, his father is clearly an enabler who cannot even bring himself to confront the clear evidence that
his seed was a thief.
If Corey wasn't a thief and meant to purchase the bottles in his bag (because MAYBE he couldn't carry them all, then when he got to the cashier, he would have opened his bag and told the clerk to ring up the stuff in there. There would be no grabbing and no running. So Corey's dad is full of shit.
Then you have the "plotted" statement. Corey's father would have us believe that the men who killed Corey were standing around in that store waiting for a negro to come in so that they could assault and kill him. No, really, because that is the
only way a "plot" argument could be had.
Now let's address the NAACP's statement on the matter:
“The NAACP Milwaukee Branch is greatly troubled by the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Corey Stingley. While no one condones the kind of wrongdoing that he was alleged to have been engaged in, the actions of the three men who restrained Mr. Stingley resulting in his death, should be thoroughly examined. We grieve for and with his family and fully support their efforts seeking a civil or federal review of the circumstances that resulted in the most fundamental violation of civil rights – the loss of life.
You would THINK that once it was clear that Corey was a thief that the NAACP would wisely keep away from this case, but no, they have to come out with the stupidness. That paragraph reads like this:
We know Corey was a thief caught in the act of stealing but we're upset that the upstanding citizens took it upon themselves to stop him. In our communities, we let thieves and murderers do their shit and we don't snitch. How dare this citizens enforce a zero tolerance for criminality!
Continuing:
When a person loses his life at the hands of others, it would seem that a “chargeable” offence has occurred. If the District Attorney has determined that the traditional charge of manslaughter is not warranted under the circumstances, we believe that some other charge, under the facts as we understand them might nonetheless be appropriate. The family (and community) deserves to be satisfied that the investigation gave full consideration not only to the question of intent, but also to issues of criminal negligence and reckless disregard for life.
No when a person loses his or her life at the hands of other it does not mean that a chargeable offense has occurred. It means that a chargeable offense
may have occurred. Defending life, limb and property are generally not chargeable offenses. You'd think the bright lawyers at the NAACP legal defense would know this.
The only person who was recklessly disregarding "life" was Corey who took the risk of committing a crime. His fault was thinking that because the people HE deals with apparently don't give a damn about theft that other people harbor the same tolerance for it.
The NAACP has had a long history of opposing vigilantism – taking the law into one’s own hands, for obvious reasons. Former National NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous recently cautioned (in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin death) how Stand Your Ground and other similar laws license vigilantism, adding that this should be a matter of grave concern to every enlightened citizen.
It is an
insult to Trayvon's memory AND to Travon's family to even
mention Trayvon's name in connection to this case. Trayvon Martin was not engaged in criminal activity. Trayvon had not been engaged in criminal activity. Trayvon was defending himself against an unstable Zimmerman (and we know this due to his activities since being acquitted). Corey was a thief who knowingly and willingly went to commit a crime. When Corey was caught he attempted to flee the scene of his crime and apparently attempted to assault the people who tried to stop him. That is not vigilantism that is good community actions against crime. Black people in high crime areas should take note and copy the example of those citizens who stopped Corey from getting away.
