In a ripple effect of calamity occurring all over this country recently, onlookers happened to view a female donning a flowing black and white dress while approaching police in full riot gear as just what the doctor ordered. The contrasting photograph taken during a Black Lives Matter protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this past Saturday, July 9th captures 28-year-old Leshia Evans calmly holding her arms out as two male officers from the Louisiana State Police Department approach to place handcuffs on her. The image managed to soften people's idea of the protests because this young woman had the courage to stand mere inches away from authority accepting her arrest without resistance. Majority of viewers have a one sided take on this photo though, shedding a positive light on Ms. Evans and the opposite for the officers represented. Which poses the question, “what more is to be said?”
You need the full story, and that encompasses that the young woman, among others, were told numerous times to stop obstructing the busy three-lane highway. In fact, police officers expressed that all day hoping protesters would heed the warnings in order to avoid arrests.
She had her right to protest as the United States democracy sanctions. There is no doubt toward that notion. The young mother was on a mission to bring a story back to her son as well as share her pain with others because of the injustice many feel is taking place in our country. What she did not have the right to do was defy authority by walking on the highway especially after being told not to. What may slip people’s minds is that there are designated areas to protest in and when officers are asking that you not enter a specific area, it is for safety purposes. Such is the case here, where protesters could have been injured by moving vehicles or officers could have been hurt trying to save them.
Opinions from others demean the officers for trying to do their job by saying they are men in complete riot gear afraid of a woman in a dress. What this sparks is a new issue. One in which our view of gender roles in this country is rigid. We are a country deeply embedded in black versus white and male versus female.
Furthermore, to assume a woman can be of no harm to police officers despite what either party is wearing, is not thought out. Terror does not have a face. Terror comes in all fashions, shapes, and forms. The officers that day did not know the caliber of which she could have possibly done something. Keeping in mind that days earlier in the now infamous Dallas massacre the world has come to know, unprepared officers were attacked by a seemingly harmless man who murdered five officers and caused seven more to be injured. This was during a "peaceful" protest. They also had good reason to be cautious because during this very protest in Baton Rouge, one officer was hurt and 101 other arrests were made.
The praise this 28-year-old woman is receiving for her civil stand is widespread as viewers see her mounted there unaffected by her harsh surroundings. Ultimately, she was arrested for getting out of her boundaries and shortly thereafter released.
Much is to be said of our understanding of one another, especially when tensions among police and civilians in this country are at an all-time high. If we can start small, we should all respect each other to bridge that gap.
