Kristy Kelly: Kinston doesn't need performative outrage
Yesterday, I witnessed a handful of adults berate the city council and call for the reallocation of police funds because an officer allegedly abused his power and was caught on video doing so. The police department gave a canned “we are investigating the issue” statement, and the mayor co-signed their message by way of copy and paste.
On the same day, one of the local media outlets released a report about a 22-year-old with a DWI. It was only relevant because he was also a member of the local police force. If he worked at a gas station, no one would have cared. Needless to say, it was a black eye day for Kinston and for all those who protect and serve.
For a town outraged, you couldn’t tell the depth of that emotion given the lackluster turnout. The media was lined up to take statements and put community pain on display — myself included. I live-streamed the entire meeting, right up until one of the councilmen lectured those of us who stayed that people never stick around to do the work.
One woman used her three minutes to promote her successes, chide the council for not taking her up on her proposals, and then screeched the depths of her dismay at what the police officer did to a young man whose only apparent crime was being Black in Kinston while wearing a face covering.
What stood out to me was that the moment public commentary ended, all the outraged left.
I don’t know what possessed that officer to get on top of that young man, and honestly, I don’t care. While ignorant of their procedures, I can’t help but believe there weren’t other ways to handle that situation. I find that behavior just as harmful as fake outrage for cameras and notoriety.
Local cable media reporters openly discussed how they were told there was going to be a protest at the council meeting. That’s why they were there.
Think about that for a moment. They weren’t there because a police officer potentially abused his power. They weren’t there for an eighteen-year-old who was said to have had a seizure during the altercation. They were there for the protest. They were there for the outrage. They were there for the drama.
They were not there for Kinston.
At the meeting, a citizen advisory board was brought up. It had been discussed in the past with full support from the council and the police department. Unfortunately, the general public didn’t care enough to get it off the ground.
Outrage is easy. Work is hard.
There is no one-stop solution to Kinston’s problems, and showing up just to be seen as an angry activist, without staying to do the work, seems counterproductive.
An eighteen-year-old young man will hopefully be able to address his altercation with that officer, and the community will hopefully be able to move forward. The same officers who had to stand there and listen to the community members berate them for their perceived unchecked power were later called to respond to a twelve-year-old getting shot in the back that same evening.
Perhaps when twelve-year-olds stop getting shot in Kinston, the police can take a more proactive approach to policing.
I spent my life being terrified of the cops for a variety of reasons and am often one of the first to assume guilt and lay blame. But as a resident of Kinston, and a proponent of personal accountability, I believe we cannot keep pretending that national protest slogans are what Kinston needs.
What Kinston needs is to learn how to love itself again. To find pride in this vibrant, beautiful city that has so much to offer the world.
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