New Yorkers talk about the Eric
Garner case, other cases of police brutality, and how these divisive issues
affect their sense of self and of citizenship.
2014 NPR.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
Recent deaths at the hands of
police have raised lots of anguished questions about where we are as a country
on issues of race and police relations. We asked locals and tourists in New
York City today what they're thinking and whether this changes how they think
about the country.
CHRISTIAN PARKER: It doesn't really
change my viewpoint on America at all. Like, this still the country that I live
in. New York is still the city I live in. Like, I'm from here. I was born here,
so it's not going to change my idea about America at all. But I know it does
change other people's opinions. I know some people are like, oh, let's riot,
let's do this, let's do that. But, in my opinion, there's no need for it.
ALYCE ANGLER: Yeah, I feel like
we're definitely on the decline and not on the upwards of being united. I feel
like we're on the decline of being - we're not a country anymore. We're islands
living together on one continent.
LISA NORRIS: As far as what
happened in - on Staten Island, I do believe the police officer probably took
it a little out of hand. But I don't think you should look at the color of the
people. You should look at the event and not so much if you're black or white
or - I don't think that should matter.
ZOE CHACE, BYLINE: So when
people say, oh, there's a pattern of shooting young black men in this country,
you don't really buy that.
NORRIS: Maybe the black men
shouldn't be in the situation that they get shot.
CARRIE GARCIA: I remember
seeing separate water fountains for blacks and for whites when I was a child.
And, well, we don't have separate water fountains. Maybe we have separate
systems of justice.
RICO RODRIGUEZ: A lot of stuff
happens in America. So it's like - it's not in my power to change it. I can't
do it by myself alone. But I got to - it's got to be a whole society of people.
And then there's another story for them to actually listen to us.
BLOCK: We heard there from
Christian Parker (ph), Alyce Angler (ph), Lisa Norris (ph), Carrie Garcia (ph)
and Rico Rodriguez (ph). They spoke in New York to NPR's Zoe Chace.
