I must say this because I have seen some dangerous rhetoric and propaganda circulating. The guy who killed the cops (who were not white) and then himself was unstable, unhealthy, and perhaps mentally ill. He is in NO way *representative* of an overwhelmingly peaceful, grassroots-based movement comprised of youth, people of different races and classes, and people of different faiths who are demanding that we all recognize the sanctity of life--even black life--(to be read tongue-in-cheek). The Black Lives Matter movement is informed by a history that stems back to slavery. It marks an awareness of literal and systemic violence against people of African descent in the U.S. (e.g., lynching during the Reconstruction era, poverty fueled by Jim Crow, vigilantism and race riots--for example, Rosewood massacre in Florida and the bombing of Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Oklahoma--lingering socio-economic disparities in urban communities, etc.) and emerges along this trajectory of political and social action. The movement is like its antecedent in that it stresses our judicial system become more equitable in how it creates, interprets, and applies laws. It also demands that rogue cops (i.e., those who do not follow rules and policies) who appear to be killing with impunity be held accountable. This movement is NOT one that calls for violence. It is one that calls for compassion and justice. [Side note: I wish President Obama would have included something akin to this in his statement to help shape the metanarrative that is forming. If we EVER needed a smart, compassionate, ethical rhetorician in power--we need one now.] Please, lets be careful and discerning as we read what is circulating in the media, on discussion boards attached to articles, and as we seek to interpret this moment in which we are living. We have to include our voices in discussions and engage *responsible* dialogue in our respective corners. Peace. Love. And a Sound Mind.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:16:10 +0000
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