This is about Charleston.
Here is Jon Stewart's commentary
This man will be missed immensely.
Listen. I have two twitter accounts. One is strictly personal and for my daily gripes about everything from work to soaps and reality television. It's also the account in which I interact the most with followers and have made actual friends. The other account is more or less strictly book related. It is about updates to books, releases, etc. I normally keep my personal feelings regarding politics, race relations, people in general off of this blog. But I can't do that this time, because I've realized after today that there are still folks who want to be complicit in racism by being silent and wanting to silence others. I actually read a tweet from someone who followed me who said the 'race' of the people who were killed "didn't matter" because it was a tragic event. Considering those 9 people were murdered BECAUSE of their race, I think that makes it pretty damn important, meaning it DOES matter. Taking race out of this only means that you want to focus on just the killings themselves instead of the reason WHY they happened which in a case like this, is again, damn important.
The 'head in the sand' technique is why, as Jon Stewart so cleverly put, things will continue on as they are. People are so afraid of admitting that racism still exists in this country that they almost need for the reason this person went into a church and killed nine people, even though he admitted to wanting to kill blacks, to be about anything BUT race. Why is that? Why are we so afraid to discuss racism? When will the time come that we can actually sit down and have a real conversation about the history of this country? The genocide? They say we are doomed to repeat history, but does that even count when we have never stopped living it?
A 14 year old black girl in a bikini was sat on by a policeman. The anger unleashed in her direction because she was considered 'mouthy', like most of us black woman are often accused of being when we speak our minds. She was swung around by her braids and told to put her face into the ground. She begged for her mother and instead got a knee in her back. This was a child. At a pool party. In a two piece. With no weapon. With no crime committed. Being treated like a criminal or worse than a dog about to be put down.
The man who sat with church goers before killing them and managed to flee to an entirely different state was apprehended in a way that appeared as if someone was just going to pick him up for a daily poker game. And from what I could see was not handcuffed, and on top of everything else placed in a bulletproof vest. Because, of course, let's protect the murderer.
Makes sense.
Black children have been killed by cops for displaying toy guns. Black children have been killed by angry racists white men who believe the child in question is playing their music too loud while sitting next to them. Black children have been killed by cops and called "monsters" despite being unarmed and despite committing no crimes of murder. Black men and women are killed simply for existing, simply for daring to be born with a darker pigmentation.
Why are we always victims of SHOOT FIRST, ask later? Why are we never given the benefit of the doubt? Unlike Rachel Dolezal, I can't wash off my struggle in the shower, it lives with me daily.
Why can a white man who killed nine people NOT be bumrushed by police? Why can he not be SAT on by police? Why was he not SHOT AT by police, especially when it's been said that he was armed at the time? Why is HE not called a monster and instead is FLOWN back to the state by police in which he committed his crimes?
Did I answer my own questions? This man will have his day in court when previous black victims never have a chance to voice their side.
And yet, people still want to claim that this country is still not inherently racist and that everything that happens to people of color is simply a tragedy while comparing it to other crimes committed against non-POC's.
Mindboggling.
He is not the first and we can pretty much guarantee that he won't be the last. But it speaks loud and clear to the history of how we as a people are still treated as unequals. And to the history of violence.
Yes, I am angry. I deserve to be angry as should anyone else who understands the history of this country.
I don't know what's to come from this. I could say so much more on the matter, but I think it's best if I just stop here.
Here is Jon Stewart's commentary
This man will be missed immensely.
Listen. I have two twitter accounts. One is strictly personal and for my daily gripes about everything from work to soaps and reality television. It's also the account in which I interact the most with followers and have made actual friends. The other account is more or less strictly book related. It is about updates to books, releases, etc. I normally keep my personal feelings regarding politics, race relations, people in general off of this blog. But I can't do that this time, because I've realized after today that there are still folks who want to be complicit in racism by being silent and wanting to silence others. I actually read a tweet from someone who followed me who said the 'race' of the people who were killed "didn't matter" because it was a tragic event. Considering those 9 people were murdered BECAUSE of their race, I think that makes it pretty damn important, meaning it DOES matter. Taking race out of this only means that you want to focus on just the killings themselves instead of the reason WHY they happened which in a case like this, is again, damn important.
The 'head in the sand' technique is why, as Jon Stewart so cleverly put, things will continue on as they are. People are so afraid of admitting that racism still exists in this country that they almost need for the reason this person went into a church and killed nine people, even though he admitted to wanting to kill blacks, to be about anything BUT race. Why is that? Why are we so afraid to discuss racism? When will the time come that we can actually sit down and have a real conversation about the history of this country? The genocide? They say we are doomed to repeat history, but does that even count when we have never stopped living it?
A 14 year old black girl in a bikini was sat on by a policeman. The anger unleashed in her direction because she was considered 'mouthy', like most of us black woman are often accused of being when we speak our minds. She was swung around by her braids and told to put her face into the ground. She begged for her mother and instead got a knee in her back. This was a child. At a pool party. In a two piece. With no weapon. With no crime committed. Being treated like a criminal or worse than a dog about to be put down.
The man who sat with church goers before killing them and managed to flee to an entirely different state was apprehended in a way that appeared as if someone was just going to pick him up for a daily poker game. And from what I could see was not handcuffed, and on top of everything else placed in a bulletproof vest. Because, of course, let's protect the murderer.
Makes sense.
Black children have been killed by cops for displaying toy guns. Black children have been killed by angry racists white men who believe the child in question is playing their music too loud while sitting next to them. Black children have been killed by cops and called "monsters" despite being unarmed and despite committing no crimes of murder. Black men and women are killed simply for existing, simply for daring to be born with a darker pigmentation.
Why are we always victims of SHOOT FIRST, ask later? Why are we never given the benefit of the doubt? Unlike Rachel Dolezal, I can't wash off my struggle in the shower, it lives with me daily.
Why can a white man who killed nine people NOT be bumrushed by police? Why can he not be SAT on by police? Why was he not SHOT AT by police, especially when it's been said that he was armed at the time? Why is HE not called a monster and instead is FLOWN back to the state by police in which he committed his crimes?
Did I answer my own questions? This man will have his day in court when previous black victims never have a chance to voice their side.
And yet, people still want to claim that this country is still not inherently racist and that everything that happens to people of color is simply a tragedy while comparing it to other crimes committed against non-POC's.
Mindboggling.
He is not the first and we can pretty much guarantee that he won't be the last. But it speaks loud and clear to the history of how we as a people are still treated as unequals. And to the history of violence.
Yes, I am angry. I deserve to be angry as should anyone else who understands the history of this country.
I don't know what's to come from this. I could say so much more on the matter, but I think it's best if I just stop here.
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