Officers of the Toledo, Ohio Police Department took the streets in riot gear today, having been instructed to do so in a memo which you can read for yourselves. Make of it what you will, but I find it deplorable.
I appreciate that they call it “preparedness”. I will even let you in on a conversation held earlier today with an African American doctor friend who plans to vote for Obama as soon as he leaves the hospital and then “lock himself in his New York City apartment to be safe from the rioting that he anticipates if Obama loses”. But that’s just one man’s view.
For an entire police department to put on riot gear in anticipation of such a result, especially in the absence of any hard evidence that it will happen, is fear mongering at best. At worst, it is a form of voter intimidation.
How many undecided voters will head to Toledo poles this morning, see those riot-prepared officers, and decide that if that’s what could happen because of Obama supporters, decide to vote McCain? How many will have that back of the brain fear of black folks stimulated?
And what about the message to Obama supporters? After all, we know that expectations often create reality, especially in politics. If you tell people that they are expected to riot, aren’t they more likely to do so?
We are planting seeds of fear and mistrust that will be sprouting for months and years after this election is decided. The Hebrew Bible teaches us that we shall reap as we have sown. I hope we are ready for that harvest. I don’t think it will be a good one.