Is Justice Truly Blind To Color?

There are plenty of different versions of what went on at the fairgrounds last month. We know this: There was a fight. Racial insults were shouted. Fists flew, Mace was sprayed. A young man was stabbed in the leg.

But the stories of exactly how or why these things happened are varied, confusing and contradictory. As sometimes happens in law enforcement and justice, no clear answer emerged from dozens of interviews and an investigation into the case.

One thing is clear, however: Some members of the African American community are convinced Spokane is witnessing racism in the prosecutor’s office. Billy Morris, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, held a press conference last week to decry the decision not to prosecute the white woman who stabbed 17-year-old Tim Buchanan, who is black.

The prosecutors said they didn’t charge Karen Beeman because her claims of self defense would have made it unlikely they could secure a conviction.

But questions remain. Would charges have been pressed if the knife had been in a black hand? Would Buchanan have been arrested the night of the brawl and spent the night in jail if roles had been reversed and he had stabbed a white woman?

There are no real answers because we can’t speculate on what might have been. But some people in Spokane believe the outcome might have been different if the victim had been a white person, and we have to wonder if they’re right.

The suspicion doesn’t come out of thin air. Blacks in Spokane report being pulled over by police on a regular basis for minor or non-existent traffic violations. They’re victims of racist slurs and threatening notes; some are insulted or intimidated at work.

And it’s no surprise that African Americans believe there are two justice systems - one for blacks, one for whites. An investigation by The Washington Post recently revealed that black Americans get about 2 percent longer jail terms than whites nationwide. The difference was up to 12 percent in some regions.

So Morris’ assertion that Buchanan was treated unfairly is a small example of frustrations and concerns of African Americans nationwide; that they feel they fare worse than whites under the criminal justice system.

It’s a problem for the country to deal with, but it’s something Spokane must grapple with as well. Even if this case isn’t a textbook example of racism, Spokane has experienced plenty of other incidents that were. All citizens would be wise to get involved - in ways small and large - in finding solutions.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Anne Windishar/For the editorial board