So here we are. July 7th, 2016. Two black men dead at the hands of
police in as many days. This is not a fluke, this is not an outlier, nor is
this a rare, isolated occurrence. This is the country that we live in. These
are our fellow citizens, and these are the people who are supposedly in charge
of protecting us.
In Baton Rouge, Alton Sterling is shot dead while on the
ground, already restrained by police. In Minneapolis, Philando Castile is shot
dead in his car after being pulled over for a broken taillight. In both cases
the incident is captured on video. In both cases we have a ringing indictment
of police brutality and extrajudicial murder. Here they both are, you can see
for yourself:
https://www.facebook.com/100007611243538/videos/1690073837922975/
Don’t you dare just scroll on by. Don't be complicit in silencing these voices, their truths. Click the links. Watch
them for yourself. Experience the horror these men felt. Feel disgusted, feel helpless.
Get angry, be outraged!
Picture yourself in their shoes. Try to imagine what
possible wrongdoing could have been worthy of this fate.
Do you think the officers shown here have ever uttered the phrase
“Black Lives Matter”? Do you think they truly believe it? Hell, do you really
even think they believe that “All Lives Matter,” when clearly the lives of
Alton and Philando held very little worth in their eyes.
Would you rather look away? Would you rather take comfort in
the story the media will inevitably try to tell you, that these men were “thugs”
because they had a different set of life experiences than you and came from a
different cultural background than the one you’re familiar with? Are you
ready to believe that this violence had anything other to do than with the perceptions
these officers had about these men because of the color of their skin? Are you
ready to play your part in the narrative that the police only do what they have
to, that this is for our own good? Or will you get mad at the people who make
excuses, who say that--for whatever bullshit reason--this is OK? Will you push back against what you know to be wrong in the name of
what’s right?
Can you possibly come to terms with that Alton and Philando had families, friends, people whom they loved and who loved them right back. People who needed them, who now mourn for them, and whom they will only have the chance to see them once more, dressed in black, seemingly at peace, before they are lowered six feet under the earth...
Can you possibly come to terms with that Alton and Philando had families, friends, people whom they loved and who loved them right back. People who needed them, who now mourn for them, and whom they will only have the chance to see them once more, dressed in black, seemingly at peace, before they are lowered six feet under the earth...
Can you come to terms with the fact that some murderers get
to wear uniforms?
We’ve seen this story before, haven’t we? It’s become all too
ingrained in our social consciousness. If I asked you to name right now the
names of all the people of color who have died at the hands of police I would
be genuinely surprised if you could keep track of the people, places, and ways
their deaths occurred. That’s not even if you weren’t paying very close
attention, because even for those who fight this struggle are limited by the
capacities of human memory, and the data pool has simply become too large. And
it will continue to grow, unless we stop it.
So here’s what we’re going to do. I want you to right now,
wherever you are, to take a moment to think about what you just saw, what you
just read. Take a deep breath. Now, say
it with me—say it aloud, even if it’s only a whisper, even if it's just to yourself—say these three simple
words: “Black Lives Matter.”
There, you see? That wasn’t that difficult, was it? The world
we live in was not destroyed; no one was harmed, no one was excluded. You have
just affirmed the value of the lives of more than 40 million individuals living
in this country alone, not to mention the untold millions more that live beyond
our borders. You have taken one small part this dark day and made it slightly
more beautiful, you have chosen an affirmation of love rather than hate. You have taken part in
the grieving process for two lives that were taken from this world too soon.
So what now? You said the words, and while it might have in
some small way helped, deep down we know it’s not enough. So now we will keep saying
it. We say it to whoever will listen. We shout it at those who refuse to
acknowledge it. Maybe, just maybe, if we all come together, and affirm that
indeed Black Lives Matter enough, maybe someday all of us will start to believe
it.
Because at the moment, it’s hard for me to believe that this country believes anything but otherwise.
-MDC
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ReplyDeleteYou know how freedom of speech is a thing in this country? Yeah, that's for governments, it doesn't necessarily hold true in the public sphere. Just because you have an asshole asinine opinion doesn't mean I have to listen to it or tolerate it.
DeleteAs sole editor for this blog, I have sole control of who can write what in response. This will not be a website where "don't read the comments" holds true. Your opinion does not matter to me, and it will not be read by others visiting this site.
Thanks Matt. This was very well done and I appreciate an "affirmation of love rather than hate."
ReplyDeleteWords cannot express how much this piece means to me. You are my brother, my best friend, my hero, and my protector... since the day you were born.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, we were at a downtown event. I looked across the crowd to see a strange woman staring me down. As soon as our eyes met, she took off in my direction. I put myself in front of my husband and we walked out of there. But as soon as we got outside, there she was, eyes glued to me. I kept walking and told Denver how scared I was. And all of the sudden she was right in front of me, grabbing my arm. I thought to myself... "Yep, this is it. She's going to stab you. You'll be on the headlines of the news for a day and then will be forgotten. You'll become the new "Black Lives Matter" for a hot second. And then you'll disappear."
She ended up making some awful comments to make me feel uncomfortable. Told me, people "around here" don't act like me. I knew what she meant... I didn't belong. I never have. I'll lived my whole life as one of the only "mixed" kids in town. I like to call myself a "Major Minority".
But I have NEVER been more scared in my whole entire life than in that moment. Not only because she was so aggressive, but also because I knew there was a very real and recent possibility that my life was in danger. NO ONE, no matter what color, religion, sex, or sexuality, should ever feel scared to be a public space. NO ONE should be scared to live their life.
To make matters worse, I was later left talking to my husband's friend's girlfriend in a crowd of people. Once she realized we were alone, she starting shaking uncontrollably. I mean... very visibly shaking! I asked her if she was okay, and she told me she wanted to go find her boyfriend immediately. And then she ran away.
I was left all alone there thinking... really?! Is my skin color that terrifying to you? So intimidating that you had to run away in fear that I might pull out my 9MM and pop you right there in the middle of a crowd. Or maybe I'll just mug you because I'm obviously poor and gangster like that. But maybe... just maybe, I'm a really fun and open-minded woman who works full-time with kids and lives in a very northern part of this country, not because I like to be discriminated against, but because I enjoy the outdoors.
You know, that I had to learn to be "tough" at a very young age. I grew thick skin very early in life. But at the end of this week... I'm staying in tonight. I've cried more in the last 24 hours than I have in my lifetime. Not for myself. But for everyone. I am heart-broken that this is what we've become. I am devastated for the victims and their families. I'm at a loss that there has been NO CHANGE! And I feel defeated by the fact that we keep taking steps back as a whole.
Which is why I'm so thankful for you. Your words mean so much. But your heart means everything. I love you! And I will reach out and show my love to others because of you!