Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Ferguson MIssouri

It was about 6 years ago that I wrote this rather euphoric post. I had the audacity to hope for black folks.

Now today after the Grand Jury decision to not indict Darren Wilson for shooting Mike Brown I think I've done a 180 turn and just feel despair.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) slammed the grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson, Mo., Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown, calling it a “frightening narrative,” Talking Points Memo reports.
This decision seems to underscore an unwritten rule that Black lives hold no value; that you may kill Black men in this country without consequences or repercussions. This is a frightening narrative for every parent and guardian of Black and brown children, and another setback for race relations in America,” the Ohio Democrat said in a statement.
 What a shame, what a shame what a crying shame!


Things like this are apt to turn me into a full-time black apologist which believe you me I really don't want to be.  

Still there are a few things I wanted to speak on here to get them off my chest
(1) I see the argument being made that Brown was no saint. That may well be true but did he deserve to be shot 10 times because he wasn't a choirboy so to speak? Does that somehow give justification to the overwhelming force that was used in his takedown?

(2) The folks rioting and looting have been getting a lot of flack from the mainstream perspective perhaps rightly. But do they really deserve it? Is there a case under which we can see their actions as somewhat justified? I'm not a big fan of public protests to be truthful, they usually don't change anyone's mind and sometimes just end up as forums for chaos and unrest in my opinion. Although I suppose you just cant keep silent in the face of oppression. Still lets put ourselves in the shoes of some of those rioting. This is about more than Mike Brown. This is about Trayvon Martin, and Eric Garner and Oscar Grant and just this week Akai Gurley (who was shot in a stairwell in New York just because he was in the stairwell walking). The Darren Wilson non-indictment is just the straw that has broken these people's backs. Do we really understand their outrage and frustration?

Are they as lawless and criminal as the media would like us to believe? Some are probably, there are always those idle elements that seek to take advantage whenever mob mentality takes over but the majority of folks out there on the streets are probably just frustrated and tired and feeling the disappointment over a verdict that says that black life in North America is worth very little.

Of course the flip side to this is the rioting and looting changes nothing but really can you logically reason with a people who are justifiably seeing red at the moment? Can you tell them look we rioted in the 60s and nothing changed, we rioted in the 90s for the Rodney King verdict and nothing changed. Do you think after waiting 100 days for a verdict and letting tensions build up high that they will listen to reason?

(3) The authorities really let this thing get out of hand with their mishandling of the situation. I mean they took forever to have the grand jury make a decision, then you get the decision at 4pm but you wait til late night to release the info? And you thought this wouldn't inflame people's feelings and lead to unrest?

(4) I have no proof but I honestly believe this rash of killings and other injustice by authorities against black men recently is some sort of backlash for America having a black president. Like, we cant get to him but we're going to put the rest of these uppity Negros in place so they wont get any ideas. And someone seems to agree with me

(5) I worry about my kids growing up in North America. Yea ah not in de US self but Canada ain't no bed a roses either.


Anyway I feel for the Brown family. Would have been nice to have a trial so the full story could come out and they could get some closure . Maybe the cop was wrong but who knows maybe their son was the aggressor. Maybe Darren Wilson was so rightfully scared he had to do what he had to do. But now we will probably never know.

1 comment:

VirginiaC said...

It was bound to happen,somehow I think we all knew what the outcome would be.
You have made some very valid points in this post, and I continue to wonder if it will ever change for the non-white races.
It's very sad, and I think we are fed up and disillusioned with the way things are after all these years of fighting for our basic human rights.
What's the saying? "The more things change the more they remain the same."
The worst racism I have ever encountered was in Canada while I was there for a few months on a training course.
I had never been more happy to return to Bajan soil after that trip.
We will continue to hope and pray.