ONE MAN’S THOUGHTS ON AHMAUD ARBERY’S DEATH:(Thread) The killing is terrible. Sickening. Reprehensible on every level. But the crimes committed against him in the 70+ days after his death were just as bad if not worse.

2. Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down in the street. The video combined with the shooters’ own testimony shows that he died trying to evade armed men who were illegally chasing him.

3. He was boxed in by multiple vehicles & ambushed. It appears that he became too tired to run anymore, and made a last ditch effort to defend himself. That’s when he was shot to death.

4. The killing is awful. The video is surreal. Chilling. You would think that justice would be simple and swift. But you would be wrong.

5. The local government apparatus apparently colluded to keep shooters free & evidence hidden. The level of “good-ole-boyism” in view is astounding. Unfortunately recovering rednecks like me, raised in the Deep South, know exactly how this can work. It’s not just the movies.

6. What would have happened if there was no video? Think about it.

7. You might say “Innocent until proven guilty.” And I agree. Every man deserves a fair trial. But every vIctim deserves to have perpetrators PUT on trial. And without the video and outside pressure the system in Brunswick might have swept it all under the rug.

8. After more than 2 months of inaction by local authorities the GBI was called in. The GBI, apparently using the existing evidence, arrested the guys in a matter of hours.

9. You might say “More information will come out.” That’s what trials are for. I guess its possible that some information could come out that would change everything. But I doubt it. The killers own version of the story only damns them even if you believe every word they said.

10. According to published report the McMichaels chased Ahmaud & confronted him with guns because they suspected him of stealing some fishing equipment and other stuff.

11. The official documents said they were pursuing a citizens arrest. If multiple armed men in multiple vehicles started chasing me I would run. If they hollered at me to stop because they wanted to talk to me I would not stop.

12. If these guys tried to “arrest” me I would run as long as I could and then I would fight as hard as I could to get away. That’s what Ahmaud did. Under no circumstances would I let them put their hands on me or get me into their vehicles.

13. What would have happened if Ahmaud had complied? Were they going to hog-tie him and throw him in the truck? Take him down to the police station? Hold him at gunpoint in the middle of the street until the police arrived?

14. Even if Ahmaud had been running down the street with his arms full of rods & reels it wouldn’t justify a vigilante ambush and execution.

15. Ahmaud’s case (not that we needed more evidence, but here it is anyway) further exposes a national pattern of black people who are criminally harmed, and whose cases only get attention if they have video evidence to create a national outcry.

16. I would like to think that overt racists and perpetrators of modern day lynchings only exist as a small, isolated sliver of our society. That these people are evil outliers. But in this case there was an ENTIRE LOCAL SYSTEM that conspired to cover up the killing.

I’m still an idealist if a sort. I appreciate public servants and I am so grateful for the vast majority of law enforcement officers and public servants in our justice system that operate with courage & intergrity everyday. They keep us safe and we should honor & obey them.

17. But I am ashamed that this happened. I am sad that this happened. I am angry that this happened. I want to look at the 100’s of AA moms & dads & boys & girls in my church & tell them things are getting better. In some ways maybe they are. But it doesn’t feel like it today.