In light of the recent conviction of Officer Peter Liang with manslaughter, I’ve felt somewhat pressured to side along with the Asian sentiment. Asian Americans, like all minority groups, have had countless encounters with discrimination, segregation, and prejudice. But in this situation, I am hesitant.

What happened in the incident with Peter Liang and Akai Gurley, in short, is that Officer Liang, while on vertical patrol through a Brooklyn housing project, shot an unaimed bulleted through a dark stairwell, consequently killing innocent Gurley.

The trial that took place late January through early February highlighted several facts that served equally for and against Liang: His warranted fear in a place known for stabbings, drug deals, and assaults; the impulsive use of his fatal weapon; the immediate and irrevocable death of Gurley; the paralyzed shock and sorrow that Liang felt, preventing him from radioing in and performing CPR. We can take these facts, and we can manipulate them any way we want, as our democratic judicial system allows for this type of opinion and leeway.

Is Liang truly guilty? I have no definite viewpoint, but I’m open to yours. That’s a story for another time.

This incident spurs responses in several areas, particularly in the area of police training. It highlights several issues, such as the lack of thorough CPR training, the negligence of compliance to official requirements by officers, and the thin line between defense and offense in the hands of an officer. Undoubtedly, these have been in question for decades, as they should be, and as we hear of power abuse and racial profiling—they're nothing new, which should further urge us to impose greater enforcement on the police system (rather than simply resent the officers themselves).

We can’t forget, though, that police officers are essentially still human, and accidents happen. That’s also another story for another time and one that is worthwhile.

Ironically, the response I want to focus on is the issue that I think the media and we, as individuals, should not continue to focus on.

Racial equality advocates everywhere are using this case as an example of how the Chinese and Asians, in general, are commonly disregarded and used as easy targets for disparagement. Pro-Liang groups and individuals are insisting that, in the light of the excessive victimization of black communities by police officers, the decision to convict Liang was one driven by an unspoken agreement that it would be win-win: The black community would receive its rightful justice while minimizing discord among the external community because an Asian conviction would provoke little to no conspicuous discontent compared to, say, a Caucasian conviction. They’re calling this theory "Selective Justice." Because of this theory, Asians are speaking up to declare this case "as yet another example of the mistreatment of a marginalized community, ill-equipped to fight back."

To be clear, it is not this idea—that the Asian American community has been mistreated—to which I am opposed; rather, it is the idea that race plays a crucial role in this case to which I am opposed. While it is undeniable that we need to make severe changes to the way we judge and treat different ethnic groups, we do not need to use every situation as an example of racial inequity. When determining necessity, it comes down to this: If we were to eliminate the race of the people involved in a situation—make them all one race or pretend they’re all simply dots or something—and nothing were to change about the situation, then it is not worthwhile to input race as a factor of anything. Even Liang's lawyer admits, "I don’t think that our jury deliberately said, ‘Let’s convict this person because he’s a person of color.'"

It is a glorious change that for once, Asian Americans are standing up for themselves as a marginalized community; it is beyond time. However, this is not the proper platform from which their voices should stem. There’s no way to make everyone happy, and bringing in the issue of race to a situation of which race was not initially a part only exacerbates the situation, producing even more unhappy people.

What we are essentially doing when we bring in this superfluous issue of race is making it a routine accusation in every situation where there is someone or something to accuse. When that happens, we become exceptionally aware of race and racial differences—something we are trying to avoid, wouldn’t you say?

We can spin anything and everything we want into an issue of race, but doing that won’t solve any of the more prevalent issues; it only creates more tension. We start to empathize selectively and choose our fights according to racial groups, rather than treating the dilemma of race as a shared dilemma that affects one group no more intensely than another group. In this way, we split ourselves apart and further distinguish each other by racial differences. Ultimately, we all become victims.

Let’s let the issue of racial inequity shine, irrefutably and unequivocally, in cases in which racial prejudice is evident. After all, there are enough of these cases to be able to challenge our entire society to reform itself. It is through these unmistakable examples of prejudice that we can effectively prompt society to change for the better since there is no dispute as to the validity of such discrimination.

Was the State Supreme Court correct in convicting Liang of manslaughter? That’s hard to say; I don’t believe in the “correctness” of a judicial system. Certainly there is reasonable justification on both sides, but there is no clear-cut right answer (although you all are welcome to debate that as well). What I do know, however, is that the persistent extension of all tragic situations to become a matter of race and racial prejudice is a perilous trap—for all sides involved.

Further readings that might help you form your own opinion on the subject:

On the case itself and the trial

New York Officer Charged in Akai Gurley's Fatal Shooting Goes on Trial

Officer Accused of Manslaughter Breaks Down on Witness Stand

Officer Peter Liang, on Stand, Breaks Down as He Recalls Brooklyn Killing

Officer Peter Liang Convicted in Fatal Shooting of Akai Gurley in Brooklyn

On the responses following the conviction

Many Asians Express Dismay and Frustration After Liang Verdict

Hundreds Gather in Downtown LA to Support Convicted New York Cop Peter Liang

In New York, Thousands Protest Officer Liang's Conviction

Peter Liang Case Echoes all the Way to China

How Should Asian Americans Feel About the Peter Liang Protests?

Peter Liang's Conviction Shouldn't be Dividing the Asian American Community