Bigoted thinking interferes with logic

The unfortunate circumstance of high school freshman Chase Coleman (article Nov. 4) should be an eye opener for those who read the story of an autistic teen, 15, who got lost running a 5K and was attacked by someone who feared mugging.

This entire event could have been avoided. An aspiring autistic athlete now closes himself from the only activity that allowed him to connect with his peers. A lost teen should not logically be interpreted as a potential mugger, and Martin MacDonald should have received an appropriate punishment.

If a white man had shoved a white teen for alleged personal safety concerns despite being in a safe vehicle, the adult in that situation would be charged with assault. But race is blocking the critical thinking of those with closed minds. Although this event did not lead to Chase losing his life, he no longer will enjoy his passion for running.

This is all because a man jumped to conclusions, irrationally took matters into his own hands and got away with it. In the sociology course that I am in, we have talked about many social issues but none that disappoint me more than the ever-evolving way to discriminate against one another. The justice system we have in place to protect us, does not always do its job.

This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Bigoted thinking interferes with logic."