Zaac
Well-Known Member
Cops are the terrorists in our neighborhood: On Freddie Gray, another victim of police brutality
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America is in a state of emergency. I’m not sure why I don’t see the president setting our terrorist level at bright orange, because the story of a cop killing an innocent black person surfaces every week. It’s important that we use the term “innocent” when describing these victims because in America, you are innocent until proven guilty and these slain African-Americans aren’t getting their day in court. There’s so may cop killings in the news right now that I’d be surprised if any black person stopped on command* — black bodies are piling up, and I can’t even keep up with the names anymore.
Lately I’ve been having that cop talk a couple times a week with my nieces, nephews, or with young people at high schools and middle schools. The convo goes the same way every time. I start out by saying, “Your lives matter. I swear to god they do!” I have to reiterate this as much as possible, because society is telling a different story.
Then I tell them I know every time they check the news or log on to Twitter or Instagram or Facebook or WorldStar, they are seeing people that look just like them being gunned down as if they aren’t human by police officers — and many times, those officers get away, but despite that, you do matter. The fact that similar videos surface of white officers like Jesse Kidder of Ohio trying their best to not shoot dangerous white men weakens my claim.
But still I tell them that they matter, even though our legal system is obviously lopsided. I tell them they are human and the problem is that many of these officers don’t understand that. They are part of a long history of Americans who don’t see value in African and African-American life, leading all the way back to the days of slavery when it was legal to treat blacks as subhuman. Back when our own American legal system identified black people as being three-fifths of a human.
I tell them most of these officers who are committing these murders are scared, racist and ignorant, so it’s up to you to understand, because those cops will never understand or care about you. I tell them to master their perspectives and understand what cops are thinking when they see you — because your life could depend on it. The consequence of not understanding police officers is death.
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http://www.salon.com/2015/04/23/cop...ddie_gray_another_victim_of_police_brutality/
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America is in a state of emergency. I’m not sure why I don’t see the president setting our terrorist level at bright orange, because the story of a cop killing an innocent black person surfaces every week. It’s important that we use the term “innocent” when describing these victims because in America, you are innocent until proven guilty and these slain African-Americans aren’t getting their day in court. There’s so may cop killings in the news right now that I’d be surprised if any black person stopped on command* — black bodies are piling up, and I can’t even keep up with the names anymore.
Lately I’ve been having that cop talk a couple times a week with my nieces, nephews, or with young people at high schools and middle schools. The convo goes the same way every time. I start out by saying, “Your lives matter. I swear to god they do!” I have to reiterate this as much as possible, because society is telling a different story.
Then I tell them I know every time they check the news or log on to Twitter or Instagram or Facebook or WorldStar, they are seeing people that look just like them being gunned down as if they aren’t human by police officers — and many times, those officers get away, but despite that, you do matter. The fact that similar videos surface of white officers like Jesse Kidder of Ohio trying their best to not shoot dangerous white men weakens my claim.
But still I tell them that they matter, even though our legal system is obviously lopsided. I tell them they are human and the problem is that many of these officers don’t understand that. They are part of a long history of Americans who don’t see value in African and African-American life, leading all the way back to the days of slavery when it was legal to treat blacks as subhuman. Back when our own American legal system identified black people as being three-fifths of a human.
I tell them most of these officers who are committing these murders are scared, racist and ignorant, so it’s up to you to understand, because those cops will never understand or care about you. I tell them to master their perspectives and understand what cops are thinking when they see you — because your life could depend on it. The consequence of not understanding police officers is death.
...
http://www.salon.com/2015/04/23/cop...ddie_gray_another_victim_of_police_brutality/
