Blacks take on issue of living with violence /Seattle P-I

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/171964_violence05.html



Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Blacks take on issue of living with violence
Senselessness 'bounces off us,' says African American

By CLAUDIA ROWE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

When Mychael Alexander, 20, was shot to death last month trying to protect his sister from a former boyfriend, there was little outcry. The same held true 11 days earlier when Maurice Smoots was stabbed until he dropped dead after a fraternity party.

Yesterday, a group of clergy asserted that if either the victims or their attackers had been of different races, reaction would have been heard citywide; instead, because these were black-on-black murders, they were greeted with silence.

"It's just accepted," said Omari Salisbury, 28, reeling off a list of schoolmates and acquaintances, all of them black, who were killed by other blacks.

"It's almost like it's not processed anymore," he said. "It bounces off us. If some of the things happening here were going on in Medina or Kirkland, there would be marches and vigils, but we're barely even outraged. We barely grieve."

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