The Power of Empathy.

After hearing about the guilty verdict in the Karmelo Anthony case, I realize that Anthony was found guilty, if not because of a racist jury, then because of a jury that felt empathy for Austin Metcalf and his family. The all white jury saw their own sons, nephews, and for the men, their younger selves in Austin Metcalf.

They did not, however, see their sons, nephews, or themselves in Karmelo Anthony because he’s Black. Despite the jury being able to relate to Anthony by him having no prior criminal record, a strong GPA, growing up in a two parent home, and using his second amendment rights to defend himself, they could not muster empathy for Anthony because they see being Black makes everything different even under the same circumstances.

It only took 2-3 hours for the jury to find Anthony guilty of first degree murder. That’s the same time it takes to watch an NFL game. The time it took to send an 18 year old to prison is equivalent to entertainment. These jurors most likely had their mind made up the moment they were selected. And with it being such a high profile case, these jurors most likely thought about the backlash they would receive from their white community had they found Anthony not guilty. Dealing with the backlash from the Black community for finding Anthony guilty would be much easier to deal with because most of these Black people don’t live in their community, they have no power over their employment, and it’s just a matter of time before Black people move on to the next racial incident.

It took the jury over 25 hours of deliberation across the span of 4 days to find Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17 year old white boy, not guilty of murdering two people and injuring one. 

Rittenhouse brought an assault rifle to a protest. Anthony brought a knife to a track meet. If we’re going to be so gung-ho (no pun intended) about our 2nd amendment rights then who gives a fuck where weapons are brought. But as a father myself, I am strongly against bringing any sort of lethal weapon on school and child care properties.

I think white people can feel sorry for us, which helps here and there. But feeling sorry for someone and feeling empathy for them are two different things. 

Like, I once had a coworker whose child always had issues. He was either breaking a bone or having a 104-degree fever in the summer and winter. My coworker was told by many people that she has a weird kid. I felt sorry for her. At times I was concerned if she would even outlive her son. But I didn’t have empathy for her. I couldn’t see my own child going through all of that. I have a daughter, and girls are usually not as rough and breaking bones all the time. And my child isn’t always sick. 

Had the roles of Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf been reversed, I do suspect that Metcalf would have gotten off with self defense. If a Black kid told a white kid to get out of their tent then white people would muster their entitlement and argue that Metcalf had a right to be there because the tent isn’t private property. And if Metcalf had told Anthony to touch him and find out, then white people would argue that Metcalf gave a fair warning and used self defense. And if Metcalf had gotten arrested, I suspect the jury would also be all white.

When you’re in the court of law, it is only by God’s grace, your race, and financial status that gives you a better chance of the law working in your favor.

The argument that Karmelo Anthony was unjustly convicted is not about race. I don’t believe that Austin Metcalf was a threat enough to get stabbed to death, but the Texas law states that citizens have the right to use force – including deadly force if they reasonably believe it is immediately necessary to protect themselves against another’s use or attempted use of unlawful force. Texas law also does not require someone to wait until they are actively hit to defend themselves.

So to convict Anthony on First Degree murder is a stretch. Second degree murder or manslaughter would have been more fitting. But the jury was so riled up on believing that Austin Metcalf didn’t deserve to die, that he was a young kid with promising athletic talent. They didn’t see Anthony as a human being who felt threatened. Who gave a fair warning to the aggressors. The jury saw a wild animal taking the poor life of a young white male.

But I don’t think this is the last we’ll hear about this case. I don’t believe that Anthony will spend all 35 years behind bars. It’s still possible to have his murder conviction overturned. 

When I grew up I often felt like my mom was always punishing me. I told her often that she made me feel like I couldn’t make a mistake. On the one hand, feeling like I could never get in trouble made me a people pleaser and a bit timid when it came to conflict. On the other hand, it’s cases like these that make me understand why my mom was so concerned about my behavior. How a single act can change the trajectory of the rest of your life.