Just two days ago, Jordan Edwards was fatally shot by a local Dallas policeman. Edwards was leaving a house party and was in a car reversing. Officer Oliver shot the 15-year-old black teenager as he was reversing his car because allegedly Edwards did so in a “hostile” fashion. This tragedy has fueled Black Lives Matter protests because Jordan’s death was senseless and the officer committed a grossly out of line offense. The “Justice for Jordan” movement also has relations to my topic of gun safety. Although Officer Oliver could legally operate a gun, clearly much more police training on how to use a gun must happen. The Second Amendment right to bear arms comes with enormous responsibility. More thorough police training on when an officer should even reach for a gun is in order. Additionally, despite fervent protests such as the one on University of Georgia’s campus this week, Governor Deal of GA signed House Bill 280. This bill, with few exceptions, allows concealed carry of licensed guns on public campuses.

The Edwards shooting relates to our Habermas reading concerning the public sphere. Habermas lays out that a signifier of a public sphere is the ability of members to unite and discuss urgent issues affecting the community at large and not just pursue self-interest. The Dallas police chief, David Brown, has openly said that Jordan Edward’s death was completely unwarranted and unprovoked. By admitting that Jordan was not posing any threat to Officer Oliver when he was unjustly murdered, the Dallas police chief (one could argue) is working towards the overall good of the community not just personal interest. From a Public Relations standpoint Jordan’s death reflects horribly on Chief Brown since Brown heads the station that is responsible for robbing a teenager of his life. However, Chief Brown is working towards the public good of seeking justice for Jordan by firing Officer Oliver and admitting that the police was at fault in this tragic event. Although Chief Brown’s actions in no way bring back Jordan or compensate for his life, one could contend (following Habermas’ logic) that Brown is attempting to pursue the public good by taking full blame for the calamity.