Wednesday, June 24 7:45 pm 25.0 mi
AT 730.3 Daleville → AT 755.3 Cove Mountain Shelter
Weather: Sunny and hot
Trail Conditions: Smooth sailing. Trail paralleled the Blue Ridge Parkway for much of the day
My Condition: Feel great – walked into camp feeling like I could have done more miles. New shoes worked well – no blisters or hot spots. My achilles are more sore than usual, so I’ll need to focus on some extra stretching until feet adjust
Oddly enough, today I’m going to write about TV. I had a chance to watch some TV yesterday and found the experience to be rather overwhelming. I watched The Daily (Social Distancing) Show with Trevor Noah and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Both shows focused on the two big issues of the present day – the pandemic, and systemic racism/policing in America. The NFL did a complete 180 – Roger Goodell issued a statement apologizing for not standing (kneeling) with Colin Kaepernick, Malcolm Jenkins, and the players. Honestly, it was the most impressed I’ve ever been with Goodell. I found it refreshing to hear a reflective response and a willingness to both admit fault and to listen with an open mind. So many people just dig in their heels and are totally unwilling to listen to differing opinions, or to modify their viewpoint. I guess the one good thing from the pandemic is that it had forced people to maintain focus on an issue that needs fixing, and to embrace the discomfort of such a disturbing issue. It has actually caused people to reflect. The segment that really got me was about Robbie Tolan, who was shot by police but survived and thus is often omitted from discussions regarding police brutality. A cop ran his plates and got a digit incorrect, leading him to believe (falsely) Robbie was driving a stolen vehicle. He pulled into the driveway, the officer started hassling him about the car, whether he had any weapons, etc. His mom and dad came outside in their pajamas, trying to peacefully resolve the issue. They assure the officer that they own the house, the car, and that everything is properly registered. The officer puts Robbie on the ground, the mom tries to intervene, the officer shoves her up against the garage door, Robbie gets up and tells him to get off of her and was shot by the officer. The mom was held in custody as Robbie was whisked away to the hospital, forced to be with the man who had just shot her son. He survived, but lost his professional baseball career and still suffers lasting physical and psychological effects. The officer was not fired, rather has been promoted, and receives a PTSD pension from the incident. The mayor publicly defended the police response, citing the importance they play in keeping the city and its citizens safe. The mother simply replied “what about us?” They sued, lost. Sued again, lost. It went all the way to the supreme court before a ruling finally went in their favor. They were paid about $100,000. All this over a “stolen vehicle” hit due to the wrong plates being run. I can’t fathom the fear, the animosity, the terror that black people experience in regards to their interaction with police. I’m glad light is being shed on policing – they play an important role in society, but that role is incredibly high stakes. Some of the issues at play absolutely merit further discussion - the use of deadly force vs. deescalation, the fear based intimidation tactics used by some officers, the militant mindset vs. a protector of the people, the historical targeting of black and minority communities by law enforcement, the training a lawyer gets to interpret the law vs. the training police get to enforce the law, for-profit prisons, quotas, the number of non-violent offenders (particularly marijuana arrests) in these prisons, protest response, etc. I sincerely hope that real change is coming. Justice. Equity. People are speaking up and I hope that representation hears and acts. Black lives matter!
Post Trail Analysis
I don’t have a ton to add to this entry. In the time since, Derek Chauvin has been convicted of the murder of George Floyd. It feels like justice, but it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. Equity still does not exist, and we still need to lend our voices to those that need it most. Near tonight's shelter, there was a rocky outcropping with an incredible view of the western sky. I took full advantage of the view and was treated to an incredible sunset.
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