Mallory Gee

Visual Arts - Riot Response 9/26/16

LBST T-TH 2:30-3:50
The shootings, protests, and riots that have happened this past week in Charlotte, North
Carolina have hit very close to home. Five minutes away from where my dorm is, a black man
was shot by a police officer. Without any background information or facts stated about the
shooting there were riots and protests right where it happened. I am so used to seeing things like
this happen on the news and in different cities and states but I never knew how something so
close to home could affect me in so many ways. I have only been living in Charlotte a little over
one month but this place is already home to me. Immediately when the riots began, there was a
feeling of worry and stress that came over not only the campus of UNCC but the entire city of
Charlotte. Students were notified by campus police to be aware of our surroundings and to be
safe everywhere we went. I was shocked when I received an email, on Thursday night, about an
on campus robbery with a knife near the SAC. With all of the violence and commotion going on
around UNCC things could not get any worse. The campus, because of this robbery, was put on a
curfew 12:00am to 6:00am.
My opinion on the whole situation is either way, whether it was a race situation or a
police situation, there is no excuse for crime and violence. Why destroy the place that you live? I
believe that if you want respect, you must be respectful. I agree with having a peaceful protest,
but when it gets out of hand and becomes violent is when it becomes a problem. What good will
a riot do for the city of Charlotte? All the riots have created is chaos and harm for the city of
Charlotte.