Local leaders call capitol siege example of white privilege

ELKHART, Ind. --- The events in our nation's capital Wednesday has caused one main question to be addressed in the past 24 hours. 

It is whether or not white privilege exists in our nation. A question, I got the opinion of a couple of minority leaders in our community.

“It was a riot when black people were doing it, when white people were doing it, it was a demonstration,” said former South Bend mayoral candidate Lynn Coleman. 

Lynn Coleman is a former mayoral candidate in South Bend. He has also served many other roles in the city and is even a retired police officer. He is upset and embarrassed for our nation today. 

“For our nation's capital to be overtaken and we not be better prepared to prevent that from happening, I think is a travesty,” said Coleman. 

A travesty that needs accountability.

Coleman believes a lot of yesterday's issues start at the top with lawmakers and other public figures. 

“People that’s supporting that kind of negative behaviors, they have to do one of two things, they have to either quit or get out of the way. They got to be honest with people and it’s not just about them and their political future, but about the people they serve,” said Coleman.

Donald Brown has been a lifelong resident of Goshen. He's spent his career trying to make the city better and more importantly trying to diversify it. 

He believes white privilege exists in everyday life. 

“This privilege it’s goes from education, it goes from criminal justice, and it affects a lot of things that way, so it still exists, it’s still around,” said Donald Brown. 

He is a father and spoke candidly to me about the fear he's felt as a black man with black kids in this day and age. 

“I feared every day coming outside, I fear for my kids, especially with the Trayvon Martin situation, as you see Tamir Rice, you see these young kids even dying, I feared life,” said Brown. 

Both community leaders I spoke with believe we just need to take a step back as a nation and think less about what divides us, but what could bring us together instead. 

“How we treat each other, how we receive each other, how we respect each other, as human beings, and we’ve gotten away from that,” said Coleman. 

Both Lynn and Donald hope change will come quickly to our nation before more acts of anger and hatred are put on display.