Photo/Illutration Naomi Osaka, of Japan, pulls off her headphones as she walks on the court before playing Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Sept. 12 in New York. (AP Photo)

Even if it's only a toy replica, it is definitely not advisable to brandish a gun in a public park. And if someone does that, does it justify shooting the person dead on the spot?

Never.

But this is what happened to a Black boy in Ohio in 2014.

Two police officers rushed to the park in response to a police dispatch call about a man pointing a gun at people. Video footage of the scene shows the officers getting out of the patrol car and opening fire two seconds later.

Tamir Rice, 12, was shot twice. He died the next day.

"We shot him. A Black man, about 20 years old. He was armed with a gun," one of the officers radioed. 

Because the situation could not have been accurately assessed in a matter of a few seconds, the fatal shooting was blamed on systemic racism and triggered a widespread protest movement.

The police officers were never indicted.

At the time, the incident received only brief media coverage in Japan. But now it is drawing widespread attention, thanks to tennis player Naomi Osaka's courageous activism.

During the latest U.S. Open, Osaka wore face masks bearing the names of Black people who became victims of police brutality. She appeared with a different mask for each match, and the one she wore on the day she won the championship--her seventh mask--had Rice's name on it.

Asked what message she intended to convey with each mask, Osaka replied, "What was the message you got is more the question."

The seven masks must have been her powerful serves for the world. To return those serves is to understand the problem, think, and talk about it with someone else.  

Sadly, the world will never be rid of cases of people victimizing fellow human beings.

But attempts are being made by people to overcome this tragedy.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 15

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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