Oscar Grant
Adolph Grimes, III
Robert Tolan
When being the “lucky” one means you got shot in the chest and lived, an overhaul is in order. (For driving a stolen car…which was his…so…it wasn’t stolen…um, what?) So, how many have to take a bullet before we get angry? I mean REALLY angry? Having videotaped evidence of an officer executing a black man as he is on the ground with “the man’s foot in his neck” (literally), is evidently not enough. Knowledge that if there is a back to aim at, NOPD is shooting it, is evidently not enough. (There were instances in the aftermath of Katrina where officers were so threatened that they shot people in the back. It was said that if anyone was shot, it was done, “at a time of extreme stress, when the city was under martial law.” What the hell are you trained and paid for? Unless you are family, when I call the cops, I’m not calling them to come to a barbecue. I’m calling because the caca has hit the proverbial fan. “Stress,” is not a defense.)
People, this kumbaya, racial equality thing that we desperately want to believe in just ISN’T factual. I don’t want to hear about the strides that have been made when a black man can get shot in the back, have it filmed, and it takes almost two weeks for an arrest to be made.
We are at a pivotal point in history, and I understand the excitement. However, black people, the inauguration is not the Bayou Classic, Essence and Howard’s homecoming all rolled into one. There are a LOT of things that need to be addressed before we pop the champagne and celebrate.
Do you really think this devaluing of black life stops with the police? You don’t think there are non-black people who look at this and say, “Well, it took this long, he HAD to have done SOMETHING!” And before you get it twisted, don’t believe this line of thinking stops at non-black people. Do you think that there are not other black people with sick hearts and minds that won’t look at actions like this, and see it as carte blanche to do what they will with another black life? Like say, kill their own son (read: BABY) and blame it on mystery black men? (This is a WHOLE other topic!) Do you realize how heavy that is?
And for those who read this and say, “Why does it have to be a black thing?” Maybe YOU can tell ME, why does it have to be a black thing? Why is it when you talk about an unarmed person taking multiple bullets by the police, the face is almost invariably black? Why is that when Don Imus said “nappy headed hos,” black people (yeah, US) could talk about nothing else until Imus’ head was on a platter, and right now, we can’t talk about nothing but a party? (And let me tell you, a whole lot of black folks were far more offended by “nappy” than “ho.” Nappy is the new “n” word? Hmmm.) Where’s Al now? Jesse? Can they move on some REAL issues? If they’re at a loss, I’ve got a laundry list. We can start from public education and work our way down.
Some people really need to stop being afraid of revolution.
“Because revolution is nothing but change.” (c) The Last Poets.
