I've been trying to find the right words to describe the hurt and pain I feel over the grand jury's decision. I'm hurt that this type of injustice has become the norm. That the killing of black people, young black unarmed males in particular, has become a part of our everyday lives. Hurt that some people choose to justify these actions by blaming the victim: he was a thug, he was a thief, he should've pulled his pants up, he should've cooperated, and for that, he deserved to die. Hurt that at this point, we expect to be disappointed. The few and far between moments when the so-called justice system actually works for us, we rejoice as if someone's doing us a favor, when in reality the system should be doing what it claims, giving liberty and justice for all, every time!
I'm hurt that some people choose to be silent on issues that directly affect my people but incredibly loud on others. You see, when a mad man murdered children in Newtown, I hurt. When terrorists chose to bomb runners at the Boston Marathon, I hurt. When a white officer shoots and kills an unarmed young black male with his hands in the air in the middle of the street in broad daylight with several witnesses and does not have to stand trial for committing cold blooded murder, I HURT! My question is, why aren't you hurt? Does your skin color have to be brown in order to feel this pain? Or are you silent out of fear that if you speak up on blatant racial injustice, your own people might "de-friend" you?
It's amazing how black culture is often duplicated and imitated but when we really need you to embrace our culture you're nowhere to be found. It's so cool to be down with the latest dances and music, clothes and slang, but when it's time to really be down for the cause, crickets. In the words of Paul Mooney, "The black man in America is the most copied man on this planet. Everybody WANTS to be a nigga, but don't nobody want to BE a nigga."
The silence is deafening and the racial divide is disgustingly severe. This is not just about Mike Brown. This is about a system that is designed to bring us down and keep us down by any means necessary. A system that says its ok to kill us because our lives don't matter. I don't condone the riots and looting that is happening in Ferguson, but I do feel their pain. I stand with them with a heavy heart and an angry soul. We are not animals. We are human beings that are sick and tired of being judged, discarded and disposed because of the color of our skin. This is a recurring AMERICAN tragedy that should affect us all! Just like Newtown and Boston, and just like Trayvon, Oscar, Eric, Jordan, Mike and countless others. We want change and we want justice!
BLACK LIVES MATTER! We are not here to entertain you or work for you. We were not made to be inferior to you or bow down to you. We are not animals! We are human beings and we are sick and tired of the injustice. Sick and tired of the system. Sick and tired of this being the norm. BLACK LIVES MATTER!
So I write these words, with a heavy heart and an angry soul, and await the next tragedy. And to the grand jury for the Eric Garner case, this is your chance to do something different and serve justice the "right" way, not just the "white" way. You're up next...we're watching.