In Georgia, a jury has convicted three white men for murdering Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year Black man who was chased down by the men and shot to death while jogging last year. The jury convicted the men on a number of counts including felony murder. Only one of the men, Travis McMichael, who fired the fatal shots, was convicted of malice murder. Travis McMichael, his father Gregory, who is a former police officer and their friend William “Roddie” Bryan could face life in prison. Ahmaud Arbery’s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones spoke outside the courthouse after the verdict came down on Wednesday.
My response was like many other Black folks’ response in this country, which was one, a feeling of relief. As you know, we had just come off of the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, of vigilanteism. So a few days later to hear that the three people who participated in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery being held accountable was a very important verdict and it was a feeling of relief that actually they hadn’t gotten away with murder.
At the same time, like many other Black folks across the country, I have to say that while it feels important that a jury convicted these men for their crimes, that justice would actually be that Ahmaud Arbery would be here with us today. The thing that really sits with me, Amy, is that our court system, our legal system generally protects vigilantism. This case, this verdict, was an important one. Unfortunately, it is not the rule; it is the exception to the rule that when vigilantes act in our communities in such a way as the McMichaels and their neighbor did, that often they are walking away scot-free just like Kyle Rittenhouse did earlier in that week. So relief, yes. Justice would be that Ahmaud Arbery would still be with us. Then of course, just reflecting on the fact that our
— source democracynow.org | Nov 29, 2021