I write in response to Matthew Hutchersons letter to the editor published in The Augusta Chronicle on May 12 titled Black racism murdered Arbery.

It is indubitable that many have been stirred to emotion at the very unfortunate and equally untimely death of Ahmaud Arbery in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick. I know I was. Nevertheless, there is absolutely nothing to doubt about the cause of his death and why it took over two months to make an arrest after his death, and I can note without fear of contradiction that what Dr. Hutcherson candidly delineates as being black racism is, in no way, responsible for the death of Ahmaud.

The letter suggests that any attempt to perpetuate black culture as a part of the pluralistic beauty of the American fabric - by way of being visible in the media and on television, while exposing the truths of the black experience in America in all facets of society - in some way fosters black racism. Stating such is both an insult and is stupefyingly color-blind to the struggles of the past that black people in America had to overcome to foster a sense of belonging and community in a country that we were forcefully brought to commencing in 1619, enslaved in, helped build and invent, defend in arms, and of which we have been fortunate as a result of the bloodshed, marches, sweat, prayers and tears of many to rise to the upper echelons of leadership.

Dr. Hutchersons comments are supremely out-of-touch with black American reality, white American reality, and reality in general in allowing the past struggles and triumphs to be our collective impetus to unite as a human race with no consideration of skin complexion and move forward. His attempts in his letter to provide an apology of Ahmauds pursuit and murder, be it an endeavor to foster unity, sows remarkable divide and refutes the beauty of the Rev. Martin Luther Kings egalitarian dream.

Dr. Hutcherson pitiably confuses his contrived black racism with what is actually black exceptionalism, which is allowed under the auspices of the Declaration of Independence of this country in its opening statements that all men are created equal and are permitted the God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How we as black people express our culture allows us to fulfill that and in no way poses a threat, as Dr. Hutcherson attempts to convey, to our individual and collective longevity as an ethnicity of people. Our culture gives us pride. Our culture gives us purpose. Our culture gives us power.

Let me tell you what killed Ahmaud. Two shotgun wounds to the chest facilitated by one also to his wrist killed Ahmaud. That ammunition was employed by two men, and they allowed their implicit biases; their mistaken knowledge of how and when to execute an antiquated citizens arrest statute; a dash of mistaken identity; and a generous helping of racism, whatever color it be, to influence them. They viewed Ahmaud as different. They viewed him as other. They viewed him as not belonging, and therein lies the notion of why they chose to take control of his body, and that they did. They construed him to be out-of-place, stood as impromptu judge and jury, and together decided a verdict for an unarmed young American male merely getting some exercise.

To suggest otherwise or falsely denote premises that Ahmaud was a victim of his own ethnicitys attempts to be a visible component of the American experience is to suggest that he had no business there anyway. It is to condone what the McMichaels did as OK. It is to permit Ahmaud Arberys death or that of any other young black person in this country going out for an innocent jog close to home.

My point is just like every other American who is entitled to life, Ahmaud too was entitled to life. Just like every other American who is entitled to liberty, Ahmaud too was entitled to liberty. Just like every other American who is entitled to the pursuit of happiness, Ahmaud too was entitled to the pursuit of happiness.

To suggest otherwise is un-American, egregious and an utter disgrace to how far weve come in the struggle of our people to achieve equality in every respect and the fullness of the American dream.

The writer is a physician who lives in Atlanta and Augusta, his hometown, part-time.

Read more here:
Column: Why Ahmaud Arbery deserved to live - The Augusta Chronicle