暴力周过后，美国人满怀希望向前看

AS IT IS 2016-07-12 Americans Looking Forward After a Week of Violence 暴力周过后，美国人满怀希望向前看

Americans have been reacting to a week full of gun violence.

Last week, a gunman shot and killed five police officers in Dallas, Texas. The gunman told police he was targeting white officers.

The shooting came the same week two African-American men were shot and killed in separate incidents in Louisiana and Minnesota. The two were killed by police officers who are white.

The shootings left some people questioning the state of race relations in the United States.

President Barack Obama speaks in Dallas Tuesday at a memorial service for the five killed officers. He plans to meet later with police officials, community activists¹ and others. They are expected to explore ways of improving police-community relations.

Are Americans more divided over race?

As tragic² as the shootings were, Obama said, it does not mean Americans are more divided over race.

”I think the danger…is that we somehow suggest that the act of a troubled individual speaks to some larger political statement across the country. It doesn't,” he said.

But businessman Donald Trump³ said that “racial divisions have become worse, not better.” Trump is likely to officially become the presidential candidate of the Republican Party next week.

The likely Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, has said "both police and criminal justice reforms" are needed.

Rupert Nacoste teaches psychology⁴ at North Carolina State University. Nacoste wrote the 2015 book, “Taking on Diversity: How We Can Move from Anxiety to Respect.”

Americans across racial lines mourn killings⁶

On the question of race relations, he agrees with Obama. Recent shootings, including the June 12 killing⁵ of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Florida, drew angry reaction from people of all races and sexual orientations⁷, he said.

“When I was growing up in the Jim Crow South, even a lynching didn't bring all the kinds of outrage⁸ we are seeing today, from all kinds of Americans,” he said.

Jim Crow laws were passed in the southern United States, beginning in the 1880s. Those measures legalized separate rules for blacks and whites.

But racism⁹ is not gone from America, Nacoste said.

“Many Americans did not want to think about the leftovers¹⁰ of our segregated¹¹ past, but now it's close to impossible to claim that ‘it's all gone.’” The U.S. elections later this year, he said, will force Americans to “struggle with the question: What kind of America do I believe in, want to live in, and want my children to live in?”

Robert Snyder is director of the Graduate Program in American Studies at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey¹². He does not believe the U.S. is “nearly as divided as appearances might indicate.”

“Even our deepest problems are more open to solutions than we might think at first glance,” Snyder said. He said that research shows better training of police officers reduces police shootings.

A new report on Monday found that black men and women are more likely to be treated roughly by police -- such as being pushed to the ground. Harvard University economist¹³ Roland G. Fryer wrote the report. But he found no discrimination in how often blacks and whites are shot by police.

Robert Snyder said it may because police know they will be investigated and possibly charged with crimes if they shoot people, particularly if racial discrimination is suspected.

Respect and Listen, Says Obama

President Obama has called on Americans to respect and listen to fellow citizens.

“I would like all sides to listen to each other,” the president said. He was referring to protesters such as members of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, and police groups throughout the U.S.

Many demonstrations¹⁵ have been held across the country in recent days.

There have been clashes between protestors and police in some communities, including Baton¹⁶ Rouge¹⁷, Louisiana. That is where Alton Sterling¹⁸ was shot and killed last week after being knocked to the ground by police.

Baton Rouge police said they arrested 50 people Sunday for blocking a road.

Lisa Batiste, who lives near the demonstration¹⁴, said police overreacted.

“I’m disappointed. So disappointed,” she told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It was extremely unnerving -- the military-style policing.”

On CNN television Sunday, Dallas Police Chief David Brown praised the five officers who were killed and many other officers who responded to the shootings.

“You saw footage of officers running toward gunfire, extraordinary acts of bravery,” Brown said.

On Monday, TheBlaze media reported comments from the parents of Micah Johnson, who police say killed the five officers. His mother, Delphine Johnson, said he was “very disappointed” after returning home from military service.

“It may be that the ideal that he thought of our government, what he thought the military represented, it just didn’t live up to his expectations,” she told TheBlaze.

Words in This Story

anxiety - n. fear or nervousness about what might happen

lynching - n. to kill someone illegally as punishment for something, real or not

glance - n. a quick look

particularly - adv. more than usual

disappoint - v. make someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for or expected

extraordinary - adj. unusual, very special

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 orientations   

n.方向( orientation的名词复数 )；定位；（任职等前的）培训；环境判定

参考例句：

• Welfare comparisons are also hindered by differences in orientations among economic systems. 经济制度之间倾向性的差别也会妨碍福利的比较。 来自辞典例句
• Their different value orientations led to different results in literary creation. 价值取向的分野亦导致了不同的创作局面。 来自互联网

8 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

9 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

10 leftovers   

n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。
• She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。

11 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。

12 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

13 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

14 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

15 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

16 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

17 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

18 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。