Ken Schram: What if she was white?

I've been closely following comments made by people on the story of the fired King County sheriff's deputy who is now on trial for assaulting a 15-year-old girl who was in his custody.

The teenager was arrested on suspicion of car theft in November 2008.

There's no denying she was snotty and obnoxious while being placed in a holding cell.

But the video of how the deputy in question responded is brutally damning.

It shows what I say is an out-of-control law enforcement officer thumping on the teenager; punching her, pulling her hair and ripping jewelry from her neck.

The guy deserved to be fired and I expect the criminal justice system will deal with him appropriately.

But the underlying issue in all this is how a large number of people insist the girl got what she deserved. They may not entirely excuse what the deputy did, but will push the notion that if the 15 year old had just been respectful and polite, the deputy would not have been provoked into wailing on her.

To all those people who think that way I ask this: if the 15 year old had been a blonde cheerleader from Kirkland instead of a black kid from Seattle, would you still be looking to blame the victim for being a victim?

I don't think so, because all things being equal, hardly anything really is.

---

Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com.