Charlotte reveals malaise of racial divide in America

The voters need to think carefully whether Republican nominee Trump can ensure constitutional guarantees

These are trying times in the United States if you’re a young, black male. Or even a voter. And this presidential election campaign is divisive, bitter, personal and provocative, just like the streets of America’s cities. Charlotte, in North Carolina, is the latest in a sad and long line of cities that has been wrenched apart in a racial fissure after a white police officer fatally killed a black man, leading to protests and violence.

A state of emergency has been declared in the city, the North Carolina National Guard has been called into action and Charlotte’s streets remain tense after the fatal shooting of Keith Scott. Already, the treatment of black males by the police has caused nationwide protests and led to prominent US sports stars refusing to stand for their country’s anthem — an act of political defiance and freedom of expression that has left many questioning their sense of Americanism.

The reality is that that freedom of expression is guaranteed under the US Constitution. That same document also grants the right to freedom of speech — one that is exercised liberally by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Never one to exercise his right to silence, he has said that if he becomes president, he will allow the introduction of “stop-and-frisk” policies to let the police aggressively detain suspects.

That police tactic has been deemed unconstitutional by the courts as it targets young black men. And right now, given the situation in Charlotte, Trump’s comments are just adding fuel to the fires that are already burning on that city’s streets. Now is the time for leadership, not showmanship; sound thinking, not sound bites; and for calm, not calamity.