I appreciate Columbus Mayor Ginther's comments

[StarfishSaver]

I especially appreciate his recognition of Ma'Khia's humanity, his thoughtful acknowledgment of the tragedy, and the fact that he did not immediately defend the officer who shot her but said the matter would be investigated to determine if he was wrong.

[FarPoint]

1. His background is Non violence resolution ..

I sense he will be as transparent as possible. .

[stillcool]

2. this one got to me

Reading comments about a 15 year old girl killed by police. I was raised by others. The most permanent place was with a very mean drunk and his wife and kids. He would get shit-faced and chase her around the house with a huge knife. I had to be driven elsewhere on some occasions, as the sight of me would set him off. He wanted to know what the fuck I was doing there. I wanted to know the same thing. The cops would come sometimes. He was never arrested. They'd talk, he'd calm down. Sometimes they had to come back.
When I was 15 the last fight with the youngest of the boys took place. He had me bent over the counter hands around my neck, and a woman screaming he was going to kill me. That was not a big deal, by any means, but it stuck in my memory, so that reading age 15 brings it back. One of the boys became a cop. I think it might have had a calming effect. Although he was called when all hell broke loose, the other cops were not
I think the hardest part is making sense of it. If I weren't so effed up emotionally, maybe it would be different. Maybe I could do life better if I were different.
In China, a story told to me goes, baby girls were not wanted as much as baby boys, so baby girls would be left on the side of the mountain. How much easier would that have been for all concerned.
So many of the kids I grew up with had kids. I am so grateful I never had children. The way I was raised they would have been lucky to reach the age of 5.
My saving grace was burning every bridge that led away from that place. Go off alone and try to just live.
Anyhow, there is not a whole lot of humanity that I don't recognize. Makes it very hard sometimes to pay attention and not get triggered. And editing my speech, to avoid a backlash is often difficult as well. The relationships I've had with all kinds of people. All imperfect, all human.