Years ago in Montreal, I was jumped by the cops on my way to work. They thought I had a gun in my bag. I was livid. I remember demanding the officers names and badge numbers. Despite my best efforts my protests to the police commission went largely ignored. I walked out in anger. While I know now that their is good cops and bad cops out there, I still up to this day dont fully trust cops at all. I always feel like many Black/ Afro North American Men: We feel like we are walking moving targets. Get use to it kid my elders use to warn me, its how they view us. Why should I? So I can understand the anger. The distrust. Cynicism towards a blind justice. The utter sense of hopeless those in Ferguson, MO feel when their voices are silent. When they feel that justice hasnt been served. The fact people now are trying so desperately to try not to talk about the issues of class, race, and policing is sad indeed. No law abiding citizen nor community should have live in fear from the very same police force sworn to protect them of the first place. What has to happen is Im sorry not just putting more visible minorities in the police force isnt going to help. Real change that creates a dialogue but action to address issues surrounding race, class, and community has got to happen. The only way that will happen until people on all sides are brave enough to have that dialogue, and be willing to put the time and effort to create action not just platitudes. To paraphrase from a protesters sign : Its the 21st Century and I am tired of protesting about this shit. Im so tired of not talking about race. Its a reality. Ive seen this all before. In my time it was Anthony Griffin. Montreal. 1987. He wouldnt have known that an argument with a cab driver here last month would end with Mr. Griffin dead in the parking lot of a police station, victim of a police bullet in the forehead.--NY Times December 11, 1987 Same thing happened (except no social media back. Everyone argued on the radio). I hope real change happen soon. I know their are efforts by police forces to truly reach out to visible minorities. More is needed. Until then people will protest, business will be vandalized, police unfairly/fairly blamed, all of us will argue on social media on whose right or whose wrong, the politicians will give their usual platitudes ..etc. In the end of the day another young life is cut down in its prime for nothing. A family is in mourning. Asking why. It is that life that I think about the most tonight. cbc.ca/news/world/protests-erupt-after-grand-jury-decision-in-michael-brown-shooting-1.2848819
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:04:14 +0000
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