Wow, what a complex, confusing, fearful, historic, sad and deadly time we live in.
Folks who are peacefully protesting are saying that powerful, political systems are not listening. Have not heard, seen, acknowledge or fixed the remnants of 400 years of brutality by Anglos who formed a criminal justice system as an extension of slavery. State laws have been changed which allow a white male the right to kill a teenager, Trayvon Martin because he looked suspicious. Folks took to the street. The same protests had to occur to insure that a white, female police officer was charged, arrested and sentenced because she 'accidentally' killed a Black male in his own home. A teenager with mental health disorders in the street in the winter, not covered, no weapon, killed. A young woman stopped for not using her turn signal and refusing to extinguish her cigarette, killed.
In each instance the Black community had to protest for justice. Folks might lose their job but do they loose their peace officer's licence? Their pension? Are they arrested and jailed? Do they serve time? People want Lady Justice to be blind, not take a peek because the killer is a 'peace officer'. Everyone must be treated with equity, even if and more importantly when the person takes an oath to 'serve and protect'.
It is not an easy job! After living through the Watts Riots and the riots around the abuse of Rodney King, my first year on the Council every Tuesday night for fourteen weeks I attended the citizen's police academy, just to get a feel for the training and expectations. As some may know my son is in law enforcement.
The small Black community in Austin, Black communities everywhere, need white allies to understand the generational angst, the anger, the pain, the need to support, stand and protest with us. The phenomenon I am watching unfold before my eyes in Austin and in other communities is the protesters are overwhelmingly white. Are white people now taking over the protests? Suspect the one this afternoon will exhibit the leadership, diversity and peace that speaks to the humanity of all.
The protests collectively call, yet again, for justice and system reform; and publicly mourn for the most recent four people who have been killed by 'peace officers' or want a be cops.
The violence and destruction of small, independent businesses, large corporations, libraries, homes, and in Minneapolis a historic, culturally significant structure to the Ojibwa people, distracts from the death of Mr. Floyd and the other individuals in three different states. Destruction and looting is not acceptable for any reason.
Please watch this clip of Killer Mike, of the younger generation, calling for calm in Atlanta. He put into words what I saw in L.A. - 'why are you burning down your home'? Warning, some of the words you may not have heard before: