Last week the verdict about Sean Bell shooting came down. This 23-year-old African American man received 50 bullets on his wedding day. The Queens judge said that prosecutors failed to prove their case. What interested me is that in the context of a presidential campaign with an African American running, Obama’s reaction was interesting. Democratic candidates were both asked to react to the verdict. Yet, Obama’s reaction was eagerly expected. The Senator from Illinois finally came out and said that “in a nation at laws it is important to respect the verdict that came down.”
On the one hand, this reaction is fair as a politician must respect the independence of justice and must avoid any comment regarding justice’s decisions. On the other hand, one could say that this reaction fits in a political calculus. Indeed, as Sean Bell shooting turned into a racial issue, it was crucial for Obama to answer to African American people’s anger, but not to appear as African American people spokesperson. One will say that Obama’s reaction was already that of a statesman, other could say that asking for measures that will avoid another drama is as lifeless as a political and diplomatic reaction in that case. Definitely a hard job…
