Janet Neilson: Apparently people are upset about the hands up signal because Michael Brown did not have his hands up when he was shot. The protests and the outrage are not about Michael Brown, and the only people Ive seen claiming that it is are the ones who are using him to try to dismiss it. Its not about one guy, as much as we ought to question why an unarmed man was shot six times when it seems he could have been stopped without deadly force. Its not about one town or county, even if the laws there have been used to prey on poor, black residents. Its about the fact that black Americans are arrested an imprisoned at rates far above white Americans for crimes they commit at the same rate. Its about the fact that 28% of black American males go to prison. Its about the fact that families, friendships, and neighbourhoods are being torn apart, often over low-level, victimless crime. Its about the fact that black American males are 27 times more likely to be shot by the police than white American males. Its about the fact that generations of vulnerable kids have and are - right now - growing up in the United States afraid of the police who are supposed to protect them if something goes wrong. Its about the fact that neighbourhood beat cops have been replaced by men in riot gear driving tanks. Its about the fact that dogs might be killed by American police officers as often as one every 98 minutes. Its about the fact that a twelve year old playing with a toy gun is shot dead in a state where carrying a gun is legal. Its about mentally ill men being shot by the police, firing squad-style while armed with only a pen. Its about stop-and-frisk programs. Its about the fact that more people are killed by police in Utah than by gangs. Its about grandmothers and veterans being shot more than fifty times in their own homes. Its about babies having holes blown in their sides by grenades thrown by police. Its about police departments that get as much as 89% of their funding from assets that can be seized without charging anyone with a crime. Its about states that react to death row exonerations by shutting down reviews of other cases. Its about judges feeding kids into the criminal justice system for cash. Its about not being able to walk down the street with your hands in your pockets because your skin is the wrong colour. Its about all the times that charges arent laid. Its about how often no one is held accountable. Its about the people who would be punished deciding what the punishment should be. Its about how this must make good cops feel. Its about the good cops who will be afraid to come forward until something changes. Its about the fact that Frank Serpico still gets hate mail. Its about the fact that if any other group in the United States acted the way the police act today, there would be a call for a massive roundup by these people who are supposed to be protectors and are tormentors instead. Its about a system thats so broken that it doesnt need racists in it for all this stuff to happen any more. You dont think Michael Brown is a sympathetic figure? Fine. But insist on it when you hear a symbol and youll look as out of touch as you are. If you dont want it to be about Michael Brown, dont make it about Michael Brown. Hands up. Dont shoot.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 01:44:59 +0000
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