Letter to the Editor
Police shooting coverage must be examined
In downtown Iowa City, we see homelessness every day. Yet it is uncommon for us to think about issues associated with class, such as the indifference and contempt that often accompanies how middle-class America views those without homes. This attitude has been made evident in the way this city has reacted to the police shooting of John Deng, a 26-year-old Sudanese man.
In news articles, Deng is reduced to “the homeless man” (never is it mentioned that he was one of the “lost boys” of Sudan), while others in the story are called “citizens” and “residents.” This contrast in labels ends up pointing the finger at Deng and defending sheriff’s Deputy Terry Stotler’s actions.
Does homelessness mean a person has no human rights?
There are many intersecting issues in this case, in which race, class, and residency all play a role and which the news articles have conveniently left out. By the reaction that Iowa City residents have had, I fear that these characteristics, particularly his homelessness, have been used as a way to forget about this injustice in our community.
A young man was shot by a police officer without just cause only blocks from our university and from our homes. This is a clear case of police violence, and we must hold Terry Stotler and the rest of the police accountable for their actions. We must also request that this newspaper make an attempt to provide the information surrounding this case without a clear bias against Deng and his transient status. Not only do we need to examine the way our society has structured biases against the lower class, we also need to question the use of police violence in our community, so that this will not happen again.
For more information or to discuss these issues further, please come to a community meeting on police accountability on Aug. 30 at the Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room A.
Laura Kacere
UI senior
comments powered by Disqus
