Before you read this, I need for you to check your feelings, your privilege, your egos, and anything else that doesn't allow you to empathize with your fellow brothers' and sisters' plights.
Over the last week, all I have heard about are the rioters and the looters (there has only been one night of looting, and this was caused by individuals who would be doing this anyway, regardless of Mike Brown's death), the problem in Ferguson, Missouri, is not its great citizens, but the local police. In a city that is 67% African American, and a police force of only 53, only 3 cops are black. How can you govern people, who do not look like you, or share your cultural experiences? Did you know that the only homicide in 2014 in this city, which is 67% African American, was caused by Darren Wilson (Mike Brown's killer)? So much for that black on black crime narrative, which I will address more later.
Every night of violence has been police incited, and incited by them because they want to distract from their wrongdoing. They have that blue code of honor thing going on. But the truth is Mike Brown was shot six times, two in the head, his body was in a pool of his own blood, in the hot Missouri sun for over 5 hours. His body was 35ft from the cops car when the initial bullets hit him. So no he was not charging the cop. No he was not going for the gun (Dr. Baden, pathologist who performed autopsies on JFK, and MLK), said no sign of struggle, no gun powder residue). Last shot hit him on the top of his head. Mike Brown was 6'4", so in order to hit someone of that height on the top of his head, you either have to be 7ft tall (Darren Wilson is 5'10") or the individual who you are shooting has to be kneeling (4 independent witnesses claim that Mike Brown was on his knees, hands up in surrender) when the last and most fatal shots were delivered, so yeah, miss me with the conjecture! The truth is Ferguson will not get better and peace will not come to that city, until Darren Wilson is arrested and charged with murder. You or I could not pump six bullets into someone, get to leave town, and enjoy our life. We would be in a local jail, with no bond, awaiting trial to answer for our crime. Why should he be any different? The citizens of that city had a curfew placed upon them, but the very man who caused this mayhem, is free to go about his life. What is the justice in that?
Okay, now I want to talk to several different folks: White people, black intellectuals, Christians, and basic assholes.
White people, when blacks are murdered by cops and/or by others, it is not the time to show your white privilege. Yes, white privilege is a thing. It is that thing that allows you to walk down the street and be given the benefit of the doubt, simply because of your white skin. It is that thing, which allows you to get that great job, not because of your education or because you are qualified, but because your dad or mom plays golf with the hiring manager, and it is that thing that doesn't allow you to understand and empathize with others because you haven't had to be systematically discriminated against, because of your skin hue. Ask yourself, how many times have you been followed around in a store for fear that you will steal something? Ask yourself, how many times, one of your friends or yourself, or someone you know, committed petty theft, and were given a lecture and let go, or received community service, while other members of the population get jail time? Remember Winona Ryder and Lindsay Lohan? Both ladies are not only celebrities who can afford almost anything, but both stole several thousand dollars of merchandise, and received community service. Mike Brown got six bullets put into him over some $50 cigars, which were not the cause of Darren Wilson murdering him, but that is the narrative white racists are spewing. And while we are on black on black crime, according to crime stats, over 85% of murders against white people are caused by other white people, so shouldn't we have a conversation about white on white crime also? Check your white privilege!
Black intellectuals, you piss me off the most. I understand white privilege and racism, but I do not understand folks who can't empathize with their own race. These are the people like Tavis Smiley, Montel Williams, Tyrese Gibson, Keke Palmer, Nelly (these are just a few, who have pissed me off in the last several days with their ignorant comments. Trust me, there are plenty more where they come from). I live by a creed, which goes something like this: "There but for the grace of God, go I." It is very simple, not that deep, means that I could be a statistic. It was my Grandmother's prayers, keeping her knees dirty in supplication to God on my behalf, my basic fear of jail, and some lucky life choices, which is why I am where I am today. Doesn't make me better than anyone, and it certainly does not give me the right to judge anyone. So instead of using Mike Brown's death to puff your chest about how well you are doing, to talk about kids' sagging pants, tattoos, disrespectful youth, black on black crime, or anything else that distracts from this brutal execution, ask yourself what are you doing in the community? How many people have you reached back and offered your time, your money, your mentoring, and anything that would make you part of the solution, rather than someone who just has a big mouth? Because I am here to tell you, even Oprah (who is the richest black woman I know) gets profiled and discriminated against, if you don't think so, Google her experience in Switzerland last year, when she asked to see a handbag in a local boutique there.Stop running your mouth, and lend your time and your hands to the cause, because despite how successful you think that you are, no matter how respectable you think that you are, some people will never see beyond your black skin, and you are black, so white privilege is not extended to you!
Christians, I am coming for you next. Your solution to everything is let's just pray and hug it out. The citizens of Ferguson are getting tear gassed nightly, rubber bullets, which are causing long term injuries are being shot at them, and folks souls are weary, and you want to pray? Dr. King was arrested over 30 times during the Civil Rights Movement. He was a preacher, loved God too, but he dedicated his life to the cause of improving the African American plight. Prayer is powerful, necessary, but it takes some actual work also! Quit thumping your Bibles so much, and offering lip service. You know those tithes that you collect every Sunday? Use them to promote change in your community, instead of helping your pastor buy a bigger car, home, and $1000 suits. And if you are not going to doing anything but pray, do that, and shut up and let the people who are actually doing something, do what they need to do, without judgement or ridicule from you!
And then there are just the assholes! The people whose sole purpose in life is to make life miserable for someone else, by being keyboard bullies. You know the type. The one who always has something snarky or rude to say when you post on social media. Or the ones who are so concerned with their own lives, posting meal pics, bragging about how great their lives are, celebrity worship, and overall shallow behavior, that it just sickens you, given all that is going on in the world. Because today it is Ferguson, Missouri, but tomorrow it could be your town, your relative, your friend, your child, going through this experience. Just give a damn about something or someone other than yourself!
I realize I may have offended some of you, and I don't care. Because for every Mike Brown, there is Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, John Crawford, Eric Garner, Sean Bell, Ezell Ford, Renisha McBride, and the list goes on and on...individuals who lost their lives not because they were in the wrong, but because of someone's racist ideologies deemed them unfit to continue leaving a peaceful life. I charge all of my friends to do something, be something more than you are right now. Our kids are dying. They need your help, not your judgement, not your scorn, not your privilege, or intellectual superiority. They need your time, your money, your resources, and they need for you to just give a damn!
Until next time......
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