海角大神

I heard about the tragedy of Leonard Cure, and my heart sank. How could a man with a surname of healing have to endure such heartache for so long?

Mr. Cure, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 16 years for a crime he didn鈥檛 commit, was gripped by a fear that he would once again be denied justice without cause.

His nightmare came true this past Monday during a struggle with a Georgia deputy. According to reports, the deputy, who was white, pulled over Mr. Cure鈥檚 truck, saying Mr. Cure passed him going 100 mph. A series of escalations ended with the fatal shooting of Mr. Cure, who is Black.

Mr. Cure鈥檚 fears are my own. The tragic tales of Sean Bell, shot by police the morning before his wedding day, and Philando Castile, born 48 hours before me, haunt me.

Mr. Cure鈥檚 last name offers a glimpse into what seems to be both the simplest and the hardest solution 鈥� a need for a deeper humanity. The officer couldn鈥檛 have known Mr. Cure鈥檚 tragic backstory. Mr. Cure couldn鈥檛 have known what it is like to be an officer. Where is the space and opportunity for benevolence?

Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida, says Mr. Cure 鈥渋s someone that was failed by the system once, and he has again been failed by the system. He鈥檚 been twice taken away from his family.鈥�

The Innocence Project is an organization that seeks to reverse wrongful convictions, but it can also speak to an effort to restore. In the face of political polarity, economic uncertainty, and international conflict, there can still be space for a cultural reset.

We are not combatants in a war. We are human beings, and even just the benefit of the doubt toward our neighbor could be the beginning of a revolution.