Since the shooting of Keith Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina last week, many protests have occurred in the center of the city. Some of those protests started off as peaceful but quickly turned violent. One person has died from these protests while many more have been injured from clashes with the police or tear gas. In the image that I have selected, there are several distinct parts of the picture that stand out. Most of them contradict each other or represent two completely different sides of one of the most controversial topics in this country. This is extremely intriguing, as this one picture captures the divide between two groups of people all over the nation. As the United States is currently split on many different issues, not only race relations but also issues like foreign affairs and the economy, this picture helps to visualize these differences. The elements of the photo like the peaceful protestors in the front of the picture, the stranded bus in the middle of the picture, the heavily armored police, and red emergency vehicle all help to portray these differences currently in American society.

The first element that stands out is that the picture is taken from the point of view of a protestor. Immediately in front of them are a few other protestors who are demonstrating in a peaceful manner. One protestor is just walking next to the police, another has his arms up in a sign of peace, while the woman to the right is on her phone. While all of the people in the foreground of the picture are peaceful, there is a large amount of smoke in the background. This smoke is an indication of the more violent protests that occurred in Charlotte. This is one of the many example of how this one picture can show two sides to a story. As one group of people look to demonstrate their view in a peaceful manner, in the distance there are another group who are causing havoc. This demonstrates the two sides of the protest as even though both groups are fighting for the same cause, the way they try to get their message across is completely different.

Another part of the picture that grabs the reader’s attention is the bus that is in the middle of the picture. On the front of the bus, instead of saying the destination of the route the bus is on, it says “Not in Service”. On the surface this may not seem like a big detail for the picture, but it actually symbolizes how Charlotte, and the entire country is not working correctly. Charlotte looked more like a war zone than the beautiful, thriving city that it normally is. The bus saying “Not in Service” shows how the city was effectively shut down by these protests and therefore not working properly. It also symbolizes how this country is in disarray when it comes to relations between police and African American communities. It seems that every week there is a new incident to be discussed, whether it is in Ferguson, Charlotte or even as recently as a shooting in California. Something in this country is obviously “Not in Service” when it comes to these senseless killings, as something must be done on both sides of the argument to keep police and civilians safe. 

Another stunning element of this picture is the police officers surrounding the bus and emergency vehicle. They aren’t dressed in their regular uniforms as their riot gear, helmets, and shields show the severity of the riots in Charlotte. They are obviously trying to protect themselves and diffuse a very serious situation, but some might view the riot gear as unnecessary. Not unnecessary in the meaning of they shouldn’t protect themselves from potential harm, but unnecessary in the way that they shouldn’t be put into that situation in the first place. These killings by cops on African American males seem to have become a weekly occurrence in the United States and there always seems to be some conflict afterwords as a result of this. Sometimes the cops do have to use deadly force, as they need to protect themselves, their partner, and the community around them. With that being said, there must be something wrong with the culture surrounding police officers that must be changed in order to reduce these high rates of killings. There might need to be a change in the way the police are trained in order to ensure they are as qualified and prepared as possible to protect their communities. Being a police officer is obviously a very hard and strenuous task, and killing someone isn’t a decision that is taken lightly. What needs to be done is an internal reflection on what is working for the police officers and what needs to be changed in order to improve relations with the public. The police are not the only ones that need to reflect however, as civilians must also consider what they can do to avoid run ins with the police and how to ensure that they do not lead to tragedy like the killing of Keith Scott.

Something that also attracts the readers eye is the large, red truck in the middle of the picture. The vehicle seems to be some type of emergency truck that needs to get somewhere else in the city to help diffuse tensions. Because this picture is at night, and the color scheme of the picture consists of mainly dark colors, the red really stands out. The color red may be interpreted in many different ways by people viewing this picture. Red can sometimes stand for anger and conflict. People with a more negative view on the conflicts in Charlotte might take this view if they are frustrated with the violence that is occurring. Seeing the color red on the emergency vehicle only strengthens this view as there has obviously been some conflict if an emergency vehicle is needed to support the situation. Others could see the color red and think of love and healing. Despite the conflicts and problems that occurred due to the riots, many will view the emergency vehicle as the beginning of a time of healing. The truck is there to support those that need help and turn a dangerous event into a peaceful protest. This truck could also symbolize the help that is on its way to the city of Charlotte, as many people are trying to help out and restore the city to its former glory. Once again this picture illustrates how something as subtle as the color red can show two sides of an argument. One sides can view the truck as a sign of conflict while others can view the truck as a sign of better times that are ahead for the city of Charlotte and the United States as a whole.

In conclusion, this picture shows the many different aspects of problems currently facing the American society. The police and protestors represent two very different groups and ideology. Both of these groups must learn to respect each other in order to work on repairing the relationship that has been damaged by repeated shootings in this country. The protestors themselves also have to work on how to get their message across in an effective manner. This is illustrated by the group of peaceful protestors in the foreground of the picture, while the smoke and emergency red vehicle shows that not all protests were peaceful, with riots, looting, and shooting seen in Charlotte during the protests. This is only one of many different groups in American that are currently in conflict with each other. Whether it is Democrats and Republicans, people of different races, or people of different cultures, everyone seems to be in conflict with someone else. In order for a nation like the United States to thrive, the citizens must be open to dialogue when it comes to discussing these issues and not just immediately resort to violence. America is a nation that built itself on religious freedom and the ability of everyone to be able to stand up and voice their opinion. As a whole nation, we must try to reunite and rally around those ideals, or more conflicts like the ones seen in Charlotte, Ferguson, and Chicago will begin to seem like the new fabric of American culture, instead of the great ideals that have made America into the fantastic country that it is today. 
