As the parent of a black man, its only luck that hes alive today. I didnt know--protected as I was by my privilege--to prepare him for the brutality of police militarization coupled with racism. Honest to God, its LUCK that kept him alive. Think about that. Not the assurance that he would be respected and given the same treatment as any other human being. If you think that none of this concerns you--a young white man was murdered by police in Utah this week. If that made you take notice, I am even more sad. This isnt only a race problem, though it is certainly compounded and made even more dangerous by the evils of racism. This is a problem of growing fascism--social control enforced by violence--and it will eventually target ANY who are considered a threat. Its just that brown and black people are always targeted first. If any of us ignore this because weve somehow been taught to believe that some people are less deserving...we are complicit. We ourselves become part of racisms ugly strategy. This is how it begins and how it spreads. I look at the world right now and I see white male children killing others. I see artists killing themselves. I see the police becoming armies and the Constitution being ignored. I see the politicians and media telling us we are more polarized than ever and all of us believing that theres nothing we can do. Helplessness and hopelessness are part of the strategy too. Look, my whole life seems to be a story of refusing to buy into the categories of us and them that divide (and conquer) us. I know how it is to LOVE ACROSS differences, across boundaries, across fear and misunderstanding. We can do this. If we decide to. Michael Brown, you could have been my son. I could have been one of your parents--weeping and screaming and crying for justice and peace. I believe your life was precious and holy and valuable. My heart breaks that you were taken from us. I will not just stand by while our world becomes more vicious and mean and more young men like you suffer for it. I will work for change. I will work for justice. I will refuse any message, internal or external, that says nothing can be done. Something MUST be done. I guess we will have to do it.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 17:27:08 +0000
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