"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein.
From the time that I was a kid I was told by my elders (father, mother, brothers, sisters, etc.) to always show respect for police officers and for that matter any figure of authority. I was told to always be mindful that as a you Black boy, I was and am a target for hatred and fear for those that might want any excuse to do me harm. I was told to walk with less swagger in my gait, talk with less bass in my voice, be less expressive with my body gesturing or arms flailing and a host of other coping mechanisms. But what happens when all of those things fail to work? What happens when the very things that you were taught as survival techniques start to make you more of a target. This brings me back to the A. Einstein quote at the top of the page.
As the video starts (See Above) I see two smaller officers confronting a bigger man that seems a bit animated but is non-threatening to either officer in frame. To be fair, there seems to be an edit but then as the video continues I see one of the officers make contact with Mr. Garner from behind and then that same officer applies a choke hold to Mr. Garner. As more officers join in you can see that Mr. Garner has both hands up (in an act of compliance or at the very least, non-aggression) he then immediately tells the officers that he can't breathe. As the fray continues, Mr. Garner hits the ground with with both hands loose before his right hand is placed behind his back by one officer and his right hand is free, with his palm open (another act of compliance or at least non aggression). At this point you can hear a muffled Mr. Garner telling the officers repeatedly that he can't breathe...
Let's forget about the race of all of these men for the sake of argument. Let's forget about the fact that there are 4 officers to 1 civilian. Let's even forget about the FACT that the officers initially confront Mr. Garner for suspicion of an offense that requires a fine and not arrest, despite that fact that it was later discovered that this man didn't even have in his possession what he was accused to have. Let's even forget that the choke hold used to subdue Mr. Garner has been banned for use by police officers for years. No matter how many elements we attempt to eliminate it still comes down to this one truth, a man died for nothing more than refusing to be bullied by a cop. We actually see this man's last moments on this earth play out for the entire world to take note.
Mr. Garner was a hulking man. Does anyone actually believe that he couldn't toss these little gnats off of him if he wanted to? He instead took the passive approach, that same approach that most if not all Black men are taught from an early age. I can clearly see and hear that he wants to be left alone. I can clearly see that he is afraid that if he uses any sign of force that he might pay for it with his life. I also see that he trusted in a system that is there supposedly to protect and serve but instead was swarmed upon by a pack of rabid hyenas there to take down their prey, dressed as police officers. All of this over a cigarette (loosey), the same item that can be purchased at any bodegas on that very block. Mr. Garner is dead.
Let me ask each of you one question? If you knew that you were about to die and you had a chance to defend yourself wouldn't you do so? Most people would come out kicking and screaming yet in this case Mr. Garner didn't appear to use any of his physicality to fight the officers off. We didn't see him throw one punch. We didn't even see him ball up his fist in an attempt to stop the officers from choking him. What we saw was a man passively resisting at first and then pleading for his God given right, A CHANCE TO BREATHE! What more do we have to see?
Wake Up America! How long are we supposed to trust that we are all safe? I'm serious! How long are we supposed to remain passive as we are rounded up for any petty reason that officers choose to detain us to have it end in murder? Why should I continue to trust that I won't be next in the fray? When did public servants take on the role of public masters & executioners???
There are some that will read this as an attempt to drum up trouble or a call to arms against the police, to those folks I'll say simply this; Try that old "distraction tactic" on someone else, re-read what I have written without trying to read into it. I am saying that reform is needed in the worst way. I'm saying that our coping mechanisms have reached a tipping point as they no longer work to save us at all. I'm not so sure that they ever did work, after all I've learned that until you stand up to most bullies, you will indeed forfeit your lunch money to them on a daily basis. The day for being passive is over, it time to stand up and hold these few bad apples accountable for their crimes. The police are supposed to protect and serve not play judge and jury, not to bully folks just because they seem out of place and certainly not to assume criminality based on race or stereotypes. If the rough and tumble times are character defining moments, then America it's time to see what type of character we really have. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
From the time that I was a kid I was told by my elders (father, mother, brothers, sisters, etc.) to always show respect for police officers and for that matter any figure of authority. I was told to always be mindful that as a you Black boy, I was and am a target for hatred and fear for those that might want any excuse to do me harm. I was told to walk with less swagger in my gait, talk with less bass in my voice, be less expressive with my body gesturing or arms flailing and a host of other coping mechanisms. But what happens when all of those things fail to work? What happens when the very things that you were taught as survival techniques start to make you more of a target. This brings me back to the A. Einstein quote at the top of the page.
As the video starts (See Above) I see two smaller officers confronting a bigger man that seems a bit animated but is non-threatening to either officer in frame. To be fair, there seems to be an edit but then as the video continues I see one of the officers make contact with Mr. Garner from behind and then that same officer applies a choke hold to Mr. Garner. As more officers join in you can see that Mr. Garner has both hands up (in an act of compliance or at the very least, non-aggression) he then immediately tells the officers that he can't breathe. As the fray continues, Mr. Garner hits the ground with with both hands loose before his right hand is placed behind his back by one officer and his right hand is free, with his palm open (another act of compliance or at least non aggression). At this point you can hear a muffled Mr. Garner telling the officers repeatedly that he can't breathe...
Let's forget about the race of all of these men for the sake of argument. Let's forget about the fact that there are 4 officers to 1 civilian. Let's even forget about the FACT that the officers initially confront Mr. Garner for suspicion of an offense that requires a fine and not arrest, despite that fact that it was later discovered that this man didn't even have in his possession what he was accused to have. Let's even forget that the choke hold used to subdue Mr. Garner has been banned for use by police officers for years. No matter how many elements we attempt to eliminate it still comes down to this one truth, a man died for nothing more than refusing to be bullied by a cop. We actually see this man's last moments on this earth play out for the entire world to take note.
Mr. Garner was a hulking man. Does anyone actually believe that he couldn't toss these little gnats off of him if he wanted to? He instead took the passive approach, that same approach that most if not all Black men are taught from an early age. I can clearly see and hear that he wants to be left alone. I can clearly see that he is afraid that if he uses any sign of force that he might pay for it with his life. I also see that he trusted in a system that is there supposedly to protect and serve but instead was swarmed upon by a pack of rabid hyenas there to take down their prey, dressed as police officers. All of this over a cigarette (loosey), the same item that can be purchased at any bodegas on that very block. Mr. Garner is dead.
Let me ask each of you one question? If you knew that you were about to die and you had a chance to defend yourself wouldn't you do so? Most people would come out kicking and screaming yet in this case Mr. Garner didn't appear to use any of his physicality to fight the officers off. We didn't see him throw one punch. We didn't even see him ball up his fist in an attempt to stop the officers from choking him. What we saw was a man passively resisting at first and then pleading for his God given right, A CHANCE TO BREATHE! What more do we have to see?
Wake Up America! How long are we supposed to trust that we are all safe? I'm serious! How long are we supposed to remain passive as we are rounded up for any petty reason that officers choose to detain us to have it end in murder? Why should I continue to trust that I won't be next in the fray? When did public servants take on the role of public masters & executioners???
There are some that will read this as an attempt to drum up trouble or a call to arms against the police, to those folks I'll say simply this; Try that old "distraction tactic" on someone else, re-read what I have written without trying to read into it. I am saying that reform is needed in the worst way. I'm saying that our coping mechanisms have reached a tipping point as they no longer work to save us at all. I'm not so sure that they ever did work, after all I've learned that until you stand up to most bullies, you will indeed forfeit your lunch money to them on a daily basis. The day for being passive is over, it time to stand up and hold these few bad apples accountable for their crimes. The police are supposed to protect and serve not play judge and jury, not to bully folks just because they seem out of place and certainly not to assume criminality based on race or stereotypes. If the rough and tumble times are character defining moments, then America it's time to see what type of character we really have. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Well said!
ReplyDeleteThank you Julie!
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