While I would otherwise applaud the charitable act by these pastors, we need to remember that it is NOT because Harding didn't have $2 for fare that he was killed. He was killed because he: 1. ran from police, which for those who don't know, is not a way to make them be your friend; 2. pulled a gun and started shooting at police; and 3. quite probably because he took his own life, whether accidentally or on purpose. So if these pastors' solution is to keep criminals hidden from the cops by paying their way on the train so that they can slip through a fare check, then I'd rather they not. If they can tell the difference between the 'poor kids' who need to ride the train and the criminals who are using it to get from one bad deed to another, then go for it. But it's ridiculous in the Harding incident that "
many hold that the facts surrounding the events of July 16th aren’t the point." Yes, there's a history between SFPD and the community, but the facts in this case point to the police doing their job correctly and Harding being a scumbag who wanted to kill them so as to avoid going back to jail for a murder in Seattle.
From
SF Weekly,
The death of 19-year-old Kenneth Harding, Jr. on Saturday can be traced back to a Muni fare inspection gone terribly awry. According to police, Harding ran from the cops as they checked passengers' tickets riding the T-Third Muni. Harding allegedly fired his pistol at police, leading to an exchange of bullets. Harding fell to the ground, bleeding and eventually died.
Witnesses say Harding was trying to dodge his Muni fare,and given how fired up the community has been about this tragic shooting, some local pastors are stepping in to help others who might find themselves in a similar situation: With no cash to pay the bus fare.
On Monday, Reverend Ishmael Burch, one of the seven clergy in the Concerned Citizen's Committee, says pastors will be out on the T-Third train platforms in the Bayview starting at 8 a.m.to pay the $2 bus fare for San Francisco's youngsters who don't have the dough.
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