Approaching the Oscar Grant Verdict with Empathy
by: Miki Kashtan on July 6th, 2010 | 8 Comments »
No one is questioning that police office Johannes Mehserle shot and killed Oscar Grant, but was it intentional? Massive street protests are expected if he is acquitted.
In a few days, possibly as early as tomorrow, a controversial trial will come to an end, and the verdict on Johannes Mehserle, the police officer who killed Oscar Grant in Oakland, California, last January, will be released. This is a tense moment in Oakland. What will happen if he is acquitted? What will happen if is found guilty? Whatever the verdict is, some people will be unhappy. Some people will interpret whichever result as unjust. What can be done at that time?
One thing that some of us are imagining is having a nonviolent presence with the goal of increasing the chance that people will be heard and treated with care and respect no matter what their position is, or how they express it.
The Bay Area Nonviolent Communication Empathy Team is working in partnership with others to participate in efforts to organize such a nonviolent response in the streets of Oakland. They are planning, in particular, to come to downtown Oakland and support whatever happens, and whoever is there, with the simple and radical gift of empathic presence, which, as French mystic-philosopher Simone Weil said, “is a very rare and difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle. Nearly all those who think they have the capacity do not possess it.”
Oscar Grant
The Empathy Team, just celebrating its first anniversary, already has experience offering empathic presence in the midst of intensity and polarized opinions, and is planning on increasing its capacity to be a source of love and empathic presence in our communities in times of difficulty such as the impending release of the verdict. I am so amazed and touched that this group of individuals has taken to heart the idea of seeing everyone’s humanity, no matter their positions or actions, and are now putting it into action.
In May the Empathy Team deployed at the “Israel in the Gardens” event in downtown San Francisco, which takes place around the time of Israeli Independence Day, and tends to draw many attendees and protestors on all sides of the charged issues surrounding Israel and Palestine. This year was particularly tense, as it came right on the heels of the Gaza flotilla incident. Protestors were carrying signs such as “Settlements steal Palestinian land,” and, “No more US tax dollars to support occupation.” Counter-protesters were waving Israeli flags, some shouting insults and slogans. The event was heavily guarded by private security. Judith Katz, one of the co-founders of the Team, wrote that:
By the time we finished, we had talked to over 90 people from all sides of the debate over the course of 3 hours. We heard from members of the Communist Party, Women in Black, and Stand With Us (a pro-Israeli group), as well as Israeli citizens and police officers. Listening to impassioned stories and reflecting back observations, feelings and needs helped contribute to a sense of calm in some cases. People thanked us for listening, some with the resentful caveat that, ‘those on the other side never will.’
The Empathy Team is planning to offer similar support after the Mehserle verdict is announced. In preparation for this activity, I am offering a training this evening, 7-8:30pm, in Berkeley, to support individuals in choosing a nonviolent stance and in getting more grounding in how to offer empathic presence in the face of intensity, conflict, and their own reactions to what they hear. If you are local to the Bay Area and are moved to participate in this activity, I am hoping to see you there.
In a couple of weeks the BayNVC Empathy Team is holding a Gulf of Mexico Empathy Circle, as well as an open house about the group and its activities. Link to event on Facebook. I am excited to imagine this approach growing in its visibility and capacity and offering an alternative model of responding to challenging news, conflicts in the community, and events in the world.
Crossposted from The Fearless Heart.
Let’s say this cop is racist and killed the Black kid out of that spite, why should he be heard and respected for his humanity? Why should Nazis be heard and respected for their humanity if they tortured and slaughtered Jews? Kashtan thinks that ANYONE should be respected for their positions.. even FASCIST killers!? Don’t you think that ‘s a little weird? Why should anyone try to see the Buddha-Nature of the torturers Pinochet and Somoza? Why should you see the humanity of those businesspeople who intentionally let chemicals in to the environment, knowing they might sicken and kill some others? Do you think that If you get through to them, they might change their positions, is that it? OK, that might make sense…but how many fascists, racists, conservatives, killers, homophobes, polluters etc.. have you gotten through to?
And let’s say you did try to respect all these fascists, what policy results from these good vibes, to continue my argument from above? If you “love” the pollutter , do you let him or her still pollute? Do you punish them or let them go because you “honour” them so much? Do you still let the fascists kill? If not, how do you stop them? By praying for them? By demonstarting against them? Or ..perhaps by having to kill and maim them?
Marco
Someone has told us, whatever any human being has done, all of us are capable of doing. All of us can have times when we are not ourselves; that is, when we are capable of being inhumane. We are and remain imperfect. Such realizations measure the extent of our having grown up enough to take responsibility for ourselves.
We have laws that are imperfect also. So we always judge others from a condition of infirmity. That is not an excuse for accepting hateful behavior. Such an acceptance would perpetuate hateful behavior, as Marco suggests. What we know is that when we respond hatefully to hateful behavior, such a response has no hope of bringing the particular hateful consequences to an end.
In this case, Marco, are you telling us that it is not sufficient that the law be allowed to run its course? We should reserve the right to judge the law? Of course we should, and we will and do. Then what? Put ourselves above the law? Only if you are willing to accept the consequences of that. That is the logic of vigilantes. Advocating such logic motivated by revenge mirrors its enemy. Not even animals are capable of sinking that low. It is humans at our worst.
Great points but when the “law” is improper or “justice” is misapplied and fails to uphold the spirit of the law, resistance or simply doing something to correct those flaws or failings can hardly be dee,ed vigilantism.
Thanks Miki for this information. In Missouri, we are working with Law Enforcement on a Racial Profiling Project. In the group, when I discuss empathy, some question the validity. Have mentioned the Bay Area NVC Empathy Team, and now I have information related to our discussions. The Age of Empathy will create caring responses to conflict.
I just don’t understand this empathy effort. Part of my guts says, cool. Another part says, hold on, what’s the goal of this effort? If it results in excusing and permitting bad behavior, it smells bad to me.
“.Someone has told us, whatever any human being has done, all of us are capable of doing.” so says Rex.
Rex, are you potentially capable of torturing and slaughtering 6 million Jews ,like Hitler and his Nazis?
Marco
Marco,
I hope that my conscience would not have allowed me to participate in the horrors of the holacaust. But I am capable of telling you to drop dead.
Wake Up
I really do not understand how sheeple react to death, and clearly injustice. Oscar Grant was shot in the back, period. Cold blooded. Cop lied saying he saw a gun, and then mistook a tazer.
Next, the police lied, and killed a little girl, Aiyana Jones, with no care in Detroit. First the little girl was lit up with a incendiary device, and then shot from outside. The police lied about this, and it would have been interesting if the video crew were not there to see them lie like usual.
The disregard for safety because these people are poor or black. We are the same people, and 1% DNA different from a chimp. Still there should be an eye for an eye, to quote the bible. In old wild west movies, people got revenge and killed those that killed their loved ones. The police have snipers, and so do the supposed villains. You have people with high powered rifles that shoot from huge 1 mile distances, and are never found. One example is the DC sniper. In other words, anybody can kill anybody else right or wrong, and yet there are many that don’t exercise your right to bear arms, or get revenge for the wrongs done to them. What do people have to lose anymore. I am really trying to understand this world, so please tell me what I am missing.
Look at those that have been wrongfully accused and sentenced for 30 plus years, and then are released. Their lives are over, and they do nothing. Psychologically there should be reactions from going postal to running away from the US after winning a hefty settlement. Instead they stay here afraid and allow the system to keep them beat down. They cannot even find jobs even though they are innocent because they are part of the system, ridiculous. Keep marching and protesting America, those that are in power are really listening to you.
Now I am not condoning violence here, but I am tired of bloggers just talking their problems to death. You never do anything. What about when killers like Columbine happened. Why did none of the parents go after the parents when they lost their children. Why is not everyone armed, and if police or anyone tries to infringe on your rights in the name of whatever you make them think twice even if you have to die in a shootout. Why do some people own guns, but never fully practice with them. If you do not even the playing field, or at least protect yourself, you deserve to die like rats. We all have the right to bear arms, and you need to start protecting yourselves. If cops do not fear your, they will keep abusing you.
At least cost your corrupt city money until it goes bankrupt, or each election vote to remove police, politicians and city workers. You could even vote that they have no firearms. Wow, corrupt cops without guns what a concept. If they want the job, they can take it or leave it. There is no reason that police cannot use non-lethals, and take their toys away. It is your city. Force your police to have cameras on them 24-7, and do cop watches of police until they are cleaned up. It is a coward who goes into a profession to bully people. It is also ungodly to treat another human being like you are playing a video game.
You people need to really start thinking for yourself. I am leaving this country since we are laughing stock of the world with the highest prison rate in the world. Economy is shot. Our government is lying from Osama Bin Laden to the Fed. I really do not care anymore who inherits this God Forsaken America.
Aside from how pissed off I am, my heart truly goes out to the family of the little girl, and I saw the grandmother crying her heart out. She definitely wanted revenge, and I am sure this tragedy will destroy what life she had left. I also feel bad for the family of Oscar Grant.
Justice