A Facebook interaction today regarding Eric Garners death elicited the absurd observation, Chokeholds are used in MMA. While I was initially inclined to reject the comment as ridiculous, further reflection has signaled a strange validity to the comment in a variety of ways. In an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) match, two fighters square off in a tightly controlled environment monitored for safety. Who looked out for Eric Garners safety? In an MMA match, a referee will stop the fight when it is clear that one fighter cannot continue. Who stopped the fight when it was clear Eric Garner could no longer struggle? In an MMA match, a fighter has the opportunity to tap out either verbally or with a hand signal, which prompts the referee to immediately end the fight. What were Eric Garners cries of, I cant breathe! if not an effort to tap out? An MMA match is authorized between two fighters who are considered equals, at least until one defeats the other within a tightly defined set of rules. If one fighter breaks those rules, the match ends. When Officer Pantoleo broke the rules and applied an illegal maneuver, who stopped the match? The matter of equality remains a larger, systemic issue that society needs to address. In an MMA match, the referee is invested with the promoters trust that he will serve and protect the fighters. A referee who fails in this duty gets held accountable. The police are invested with the publics trust that they will serve and protect. Officer Pantoleo failed to serve and protect Eric Garner. Period. I believe that the failure of the grand jury to find any cause for an indictment to be a failure to hold him accountable.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:23:12 +0000
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