Many Millennial Protesters Are Not Rebelling Against State Sanctioned, Racist Police Murders, But Against Authority. Ask many protesters, and I have, this one a 21 year old Black male, Why are you out here? Young Protester: Because Im against police brutality. Cleo Manago: So, what do you expect to accomplish? YP: I just think people should know how todays youth feel CM: Then what? (Pause, pause pause) YP: Then, maybe we will get justice. CM: Justice for who? YP: People killed by cops. CM: Why do you think so many Black males have been killed by cops? YP: Its not about race. Race is not the issue. CM: OK. Why do you think so many Black men have been killed? (Pause, pause pause) YP: If we focus just on race we won’t get anywhere. CM: We won’t get where? YP: Get our rights. CM: Whose Rights? YP: The rights of people. CM: Which people, and what rights? YP: (Sounding frustrated with my questioning) – Man, have you been protesting? Have you been out here? CM: Yes I have. In Ferguson, New York and Washington D.C. YP: So, why are YOU out here? CM: To show support, and mostly to find out up-close what is inspiring these protest. YP: OK then. CM: Do you mind if I ask a question again that I feel you have not answered yet? YP: OK. Shoot! CM: Why do you think so many Black people, especially males have been killed by police? (Pause, pause pause) I have to go now. OK. (end) This young man, and many of the protesters I interviewed just could not bring themselves to discuss the racial element supposedly driving protest, the police and or White male murders of a succession of unarmed Black people, primarily males. As a matter of fact, at every protest I attended, while there were many signs complaining about Killer Cops and use of the word Ferguson, few images of who was killed were present, and the Black Life Matters signs were in the minority. I use to work in Law Enforcement. The killing of Black people may slow down - on the surface - resulting from protest pressure, leading to policy changes and body cameras. Yet, it is anti-Black attitudes people have leading to the killing mostly of Black males by police and others. If protesters are serious about getting at the core of what leads to the criminalization, dehumanization and finally straight up murder of Black people, they need to be protesting until theres media transformation, educational curriculum transformation, and Hollywood film industry transformation. All three are chock-full of racist and offensive white supremacy mythology, and Black image and perspective minimizing mythology. All help to perpetuate implications of Black people being less important, and their lives having minimal relevance, including historically. Many of todays “no-indictment” protests are now really socially fashionable, public performance rebellions, with little focus on systems or racist attitude change, or against institutionalized racism. It is institutionalized racism that leads to impulses to summarily end an unarmed or subjectively suspicious Black life, and there to be no punishment for it. Many young protesters are acting out against authority. Yet, not for dismantling of the racist and exploitative systems that foster race reactionary hostility, and the state sanctioned murder of Black people. So, beyond the spectacle of temporarily embarrassing Law Enforcement, what’s the point? Protesters need to targeting Rupert Murdoch. huffingtonpost/2014/12/01/rupert-murdoch-exodus-defends-exodus-casting_n_6248464.html
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:37:15 +0000
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