Brack: The political impact of simultaneous contrast

In the worlds of art and perception, there’s a phenomenon known as simultaneous contrast. It basically means that a color surrounding another may change the way the brain perceives the interior color.

Imagine, for example, two magenta squares. One is surrounded by forest green. The other is surrounded by orange. The magenta in the middle is the exact same color – but the way we see these interior colors generally is different because the magenta surrounded by orange looks like a darker red – even though it’s actually not if you remove the surrounding green and orange squares.

Our brains are processing the interior colors differently, leading to the illusion that the colors in the middle are different. But they’re not.

Today, the concept of simultaneous contrast has political implications. Two divided and partisan groups looking at the same thing – say, a federal ICE agent shooting through a windshield and killing a woman in Minneapolis – are seeing things differently. And this is the kind of continuing conflict that is tearing America apart.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he was meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday and they looked at video footage of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three.

“We viewed the footage of the assault on the ICE officer and the eventual defensive shooting of the woman who tried to run him over. We watched the video several times with the president. I am told the officer who was struck by the vehicle is recovering in the hospital,” Graham said in a statement.

“This could have easily been prevented by complying with the officer’s command. If an officer lawfully asks you to exit a vehicle but you do not comply and then strike that officer with a vehicle, you may get shot. The takeaway for me is simple. If you try to run over a law enforcement officer with your vehicle, it is at your own peril.”

But many who watched videos didn’t see the ICE agent get hit by the vehicle.

Here’s what U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a statement:

“This morning, a masked ICE agent shot and killed an unarmed woman in Minneapolis as she sought to leave. This was an unjustifiable act of violence.

“ICE has been wreaking havoc in our communities under Donald Trump’s direction, and today an American lost her life as a result. There must be accountability and justice, and the Trump Administration must cease these reckless ICE activities that are undermining public safety before more lives are lost.”

Two South Carolina leaders, one Republican and one Democratic, saw the same incident and drew different conclusions. It’s the political phenomenon of simultaneous contrast at work.

If you keep all of this in mind, perhaps you may want to consider some other conclusions:

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Let’s gather all of the facts before drawing partisan conclusions – despite what we think we see. Federal authorities like U.S. Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem may have rushed to judgment and into the world of spin by immediately pointing a partisan finger of blame at the dead woman.
Minnesotans understandably are upset because of the continuing presence of ICE agents in their state. It’s probably a good idea to question why they are there and whether they’re causing more problems than not.
Federal investigators aren’t doing themselves any favors by excluding Minnesota law enforcement officers from participating in the investigation. That’s the kind of thing that starts people talking about coverups.

The shooting in Minnesota is a tragedy and should never have happened. Now, everyone needs to go into time out, breathe and pause. And make sure the investigation is transparent so we can know the full range of what happened.

Otherwise, people who saw the video – and believe they witnessed a woman get attacked by an agent (not the other way around) – may start questioning the veracity of the Trump administration on other issues. And that could have big political consequences at the midterm elections.

Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.