We all know that there are two sides in the Black Lives
Matter Movement (BLMM), but do we know who or what those two sides are? Are
they racial, political, or cultural? Is
the conflict centered on police vs. Black
folks? Who are the two sides and why
does it matter? While the murders of unarmed black folks by
police are clearly motivated by racism, the BLMM is hardly about black vs.
white. Decent white folks are deeply
involved in this movement and there are a few right wing negroes, like former
Congressman, Allen
West, who are deeply opposed. It
appears to be about blacks vs. police for obvious reasons, not the least of
which is the official position taken by all of the police union spokespersons
that essentially says that there are no circumstances under which a police
officer can be wrong for shooting an African American. Still, that answer is not completely
satisfying for two reasons: Good cops hate murder as much if not more,
than anyone, even though they have yet to speak out against their corrupt
brethren . Also, there is no community
that needs and appreciates good
officers more than the African American community that has been plagued by
violence directly resulting from a long history of racist policies in this
country. I think we have to embrace and
support good cops to help break the code of silence that they may feel helpless
to break. For those who condemn silent
cops, they should consider what
happens when they do speak out.
I can’t say that the conflict isn’t cultural. It is.
On a recent Frontline program, Policing the
Police, several officers threw an unarmed black man- a citizen- to the
ground as he walked down the street, not bothering anyone. They did not calmly approach him, they rushed
him. They rushed him because their
erroneous “instincts” told them he might have
had a gun. They did this knowing that
they were being filmed for a program on police brutality and said throwing the
man to the ground was justified because he flinched as they rushed him. How could you NOT flinch if a bunch of large
men rushed you? It never even occurred
to them that this was an innocent human being they were dehumanizing and
degrading for no reason other than something in their heads told them
it was a good idea! We also know from the attempted cover-up of
the Laquan
McDonald murder by the killer’s fellow officers as well as the State’s
Attorney and the city of Chicago, that the brutality against African
Americans is clearly deeply ingrained in the culture. We have seen guilty verdicts thrown
out by racist judges.
This culture is being further perpetuated by the racist
media, led by the usual suspects, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, et al. It is difficult for anyone who isn’t black to
begin to understand the pain and anger at having your people killed on film and
having the killers go free while the likes of Sean
Hannity compare people protesting against state sponsored murder to the
Klan.
But what is behind the culture? Is it politics?
We know that the opponents of the BLMM are almost exclusively
Republicans. Democrats are far more
sympathetic. This single aspect is,
while completely expected, still deeply troubling because once the issues become
drawn along partisan lines, then the matter ceases to be presented as right and
wrong, but one of political persuasion.
Once one of the two major parties takes a stand, any attacks on their
position are repackaged as politics, and nothing more than the ranting of the
tree hugging, imaginary ultra left wing
Commie Pinko press. This phenomena has enabled Donald Trump to wrap himself in
the mantle of Richard Nixon as a “law
and order” candidate. The movement is further politicized by its opponents,
such as the aforementioned Allen West who calls the movement a “tool of the
left” and describes the protestors as “useful
idiots.” Really?
We can analyze all the components, but the gist of the
conflict, firmly rooted in a system of slavery that denied the humanity of
black folks, comes down to whether or not one believes that black lives do
indeed matter. Those who do not, respond
that “all lives matter.” It’s like
having a straight pride parade, or a National Association for the Advancement
of White People, which brings me to my next topic.
Wendy
Williams’ recent astonishingly ignorant
comments on the NAACP and HBCUs (Historically Black Universities and
Colleges) serve to further highlight the use of ignorant black folks as tools
in the propaganda war against black folks.
Her comments strongly suggest a mentality that states that not only is
there no racism now, but that there has never been any racism in America. She is but the latest in a string of
uninformed, vacuous individuals given a platform to spread ignorance and racial
stupidity. The list, from Stacy
Dash, to Raven
Symone, is quite extensive. But the
thing to remember is not that these individuals have so much access to the
public forum of ideas in spite of their ignorance. They have access because of it! Having people of color say there are no racial
issues even as these issues stare them in the face makes it a lot easier to
blame all the issues that afflict black America, from mass incarceration to
under employment and education, solely on black America.
www.williamgriggs.net
No comments:
Post a Comment