Playing blame game

Mr. Rex Nelson offered a bold analysis into the subconscious motivations of attendants of the 2018 Salt Bowl in his Sept. 2 piece “White flight riot.” Unfortunately, it was written by a non-witness, who it seems conjured up bias where none existed.

I was present at the Salt Bowl. I am a medical student at UAMS. I proudly live in Little Rock, a stone’s throw from War Memorial Stadium.

Mr. Nelson’s portrayal of the events was inaccurate and hurtful. He explains the incident as merely suburban paranoia. His thesis (an unattributed quote) reads: “We heard a loud noise. This is Little Rock. So it must be a gunshot.”

Trivializing chaos belittles the trauma experienced by those in attendance, some of whom may face psychiatric issues. The loss of crowd control was tremendous and rapid. Thirty thousand people were scared and clueless. Players ran and hid in bushes a half-mile from the stadium. After, I saw a community from Benton, Bryant, and Little Rock come together to help.

It should be noted: USA Today’s July 2018 piece ranks Little Rock as one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Barely a year has passed from the Power Ultra Lounge shooting where 25 people were shot.

That being said, it is unfair for anyone to blame a city for the actions of a few. Instead of playing the blame game, I advise championing the importance of being good neighbors to everyone, and to never stop cheering on our cities and teams this fall. BRADLEY SHIELDS

Little Rock