#Ferguson and the lack of police accountability

By now, everyone should know about the protests in Ferguson, MO set off by the police shooting of unarmed Michael Brown. If you don't know, also Google the police killings of Eric Garner and John Crawford. For a long time, it has been common knowledge that Blacks (particularly young Black men) have significantly less leeway or benefit of the doubt when interacting with law enforcement; I was about 12 years old when my dad had the "how not to get shot in vain by the police" talk with me. If you don't, you will be accountable instantly - via arrest, beating, or shooting. However, recent events have demonstrated the extent to which they can A) use excessive physical or legal force without fear of punishment or accountability, B) get caught lying about it without fear of punishment or accountability, and C) still be defended by large factions of the population. Death is definite, there is absolutely no coming back from that. Brown was shot in the head and upper body after allegedly after surrendering, because he stole cigars from a convenient store.  The policeman said Brown attacked him and he ended up killing him in a struggle over the gun; ballistics showed Brown was shot from at least 35' away. The national media put Brown on trial for his own murder. Was Brown a knucklehead? It's very likely that he was. If he was caught stealing, he deserved to get arrested. If he resists, he may even deserve to get roughed up a little; he didn't deserve to be shot six times from 35' away. Eric Garner was selling cigarettes on the sidewalk, and then had a bit of a smart mouth when police approached him. So they choked him and dragged him to the ground while he wasn't resisting and was insisting "I Can't Breath." The police arrived with his dead body and claimed he died of a heart attack; cell phone video of the incident and the medical examiner both confirm that he was choked to death. In both cases, lethal force was not necessary as the suspect was unarmed and outgunned/outnumbered; the cops acted carelessly and excessively. What's more alarming? The police superiors don't seem very pressed to punish the officers for their overly aggressive action. What the fuck? Who's going to #PolicethePolice when they step out of line? And my last point is the support for the police. Now, I'm biased, I'm a young Black man whose had a few undeserved unpleasant interactions with the police. But how the hell are people countering the #Ferguson rallies with their own rallies hailing the policemen as a hero? Even if you think that the shooting was provoked by Brown and the cop didn't have much choice; it still wouldn't make him a "hero" it would mean it was an unfortunate necessary action on the job. Even if you still have faith in the police as an institution, how the fuck is he a hero? Are these people saying that he's a hero just because he shot a young Black knucklehead and left him in the street for hours, possibly as a message to his predominately Black neighborhood? Then the Ferguson protesters were treated like a crime mob when they were protesting the death of a kid who grew up there from the street they live on. There were snipers, tear gas being thrown, others getting shot, unlawful arrests, and everything else. The scenes from Ferguson look like the army squashing rebel protests in 3rd World Middle Eastern countries. But the NRA, KKK, and other have armed rallies on a regular basis and the police don't even get out of their cars. Long story short, I don't blame the whole police institution for "bad apples" shooting ppl. I don't think all, or even most, cops are bad. But I absolutely blame them for not bothering to reprimand them when they kill unarmed civilians and/or get caught lying about it. To defend the institution as non-corrupt, you have to treat the "bad apples" like fucking "bad apples" and get rid of them. I don't think this is a new trend, I think the new trend is people having smart phones to tape it happening. And no matter what, even if they shoot a 8 year old Black girl in her bedroom (yes, that has happened), someone will absolutely defend them as "heroes." Maybe those are the ppl they "Protect and Serve" cuz it damn sure ain't me.

I Got A Bad Feelling: Part I, Man Made

I'm got a bad feeling about this. In the past year, the world is changing in a way that I don’t like at all. This is one of those years that countries are addicted to unrest and revolution; we’ve already seen all throughout the Middle East including Egypt (pictured), Bahrain, Iran, Libya, and more. Even Canada and England have protested their dissatisfaction with the recent actions of their countries’ governments. Revolution is not always a bad thing (especially places like Egypt and Libya where one man who rose to power by force has been in place for years and added more to their personal wealth than the well-being of their nations) but when the pro-government forces start slaughtering their own people to quell the rebellion, it’s an issue. I will give America credit letting it’s revolt-supporting opinion be forcefully known but not acting militarily. Even in Libya, where things got hands on (drawing widespread criticism as a show of double standard), the US didn’t get its hands too dirty before they handed things over to the UN and European countries. I know we have been seen as obligated to play police to the world, but we can’t afford another full-scale war in an unstable Middle East; especially against a country that never actually attacked America or its forces. As far as the criticisms, I don’t put much credence into the opinions of countries that do a lot of talking and never take action, period. I just hope whenever things are stable, we might actually have an ally or two in that region. But I still wouldn’t bet on it though. Just because they don’t want Mubarak of Quaddafi doesn’t mean they want democracy forced onto them unfortunately; especially by us and the anti-Muslim reputation that precedes us everywhere we go. Furthermore, the Ivory Coast is in the midst of a bloody civil fighting and unrest (pictured) that doesn’t seem to have a quick resolution. All of this comes as the world was recently on the brink of a potentially nuclear war with North Korea and South Korea (backed by the US and other Western powers) playing a game of “My dick is bigger than yours.” It didn’t gain the world’s captivity as much as the Cuban missile crisis in the 1960’s but make no mistakw, North Korea is not someone I would like to see at war with anyone right now. They’re the little guy at the world’s car table with a nuclear ace or two in its hand and an attitude forged on making a splash more than actually winning the game. But those are just the man-made travesties of the moment. That doesn’t scare me nearly as much and the disgruntled nature of Mother Nature. This blog is up next...