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Life Matters: My Take on All This Madness

I am vexed beyond words about the situation with the two police officers being shot in Brooklyn. What bothers me is the blatant disregard for life -- on both sides. The man who felt like it was okay to take the lives of two police officers CLEARLY had no disregard for life because he took theirs and his own.

And then there are the situations with Eric Garner and Michael Brown. Both situations show a disregard for life. For humanity, really. And it's painful to me that all of these families will have holes in them because someone felt like it was okay to take a life.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when people could fight and disagree -- and everyone went home to fight another day. When did it become okay to kill a person for whatever reason?

As quiet as it's kept, by NOT indicting the police officers for killing those guys, it shows that life doesn't really matter. And it's easy to say Black life (and believe me, I do believe that it's open season on brothers), but the police shooting adds another dimension to it, in my opinion. And before you get started, YES, I realize that it was the random act of a deranged man. But I think that if the correct officers had been indicted, maybe those cops would alive to spend Christmas with their families.

At this point, I almost feel selfish wanting to bring children into a world like this. (And to update you, I'm not pregnant...just late.) And I'm kinda scared for my brother, New Boo, and all the rest of the brothers who have targets on their heads. Our world makes me sad right now.

Comments

JB said…
Oh man, I'm so sad that we haven't become smarter and kinder as a culture. I have to tell you that I've heard so much vitriol about our good President that I knew we weren't done working on racial issues, but it breaks my heart that children, even big kids, are being killed. Killed! I tried to imagine my big fourteen year old boy having trouble when he gets his license next year. I tried imagine him being pulled over for 'driving while black.' It hurt to think of it. It was worse when I realized I might have had to worry over my whole family, husband, brother, nephews, son.

My problem is that I don't really have anyone who has that worry to ask about it, how it feels really. My neighborhood is not diverse. Not long ago, I listened to interviews of people who were kids involved in Birmingham marches in the sixties. It was an eye opener. I realized then, that it's probably no accident that my neighborhood isn't diverse. How can I combat that?

I wanted to march in the protests in Seattle when it all started, but I wasn't in a position to do it then. Maybe I need to write more about it, but not being in the thick of it, I feel I have no right.

So instead, I'd like to throw out an apology, that it's not over, that there is so much hatred and racism in our culture, even if some people try to pretend it doesn't exist. I'd like to apologize for being someone on the sidelines that hasn't taken a decent stand against it.

I'm so sorry you have to worry for the safety of your family.
December 22, 2014 at 6:46:00 PM EST
MackDiva said…
Honestly, JB, I don't think you have to be in the thick of things to have an opinion. It's easy for all of us to write it off as a racial -- and believe me, I think it is. But there are things we feel as humans that trump everything else.

When life is disregarded, we ALL suffer. And it's sad. And if it's any consolation, I don't feel like I've done enough, either.

On a side note, I always look forward to your comments, and I appreciate you for reading my humble musings. Thank you, and Happy Holidays. :-)
December 22, 2014 at 7:08:00 PM EST
JB said…
Thank you. You have a real gift for writing. I hope you have a wonderful holiday too.
December 23, 2014 at 1:33:00 AM EST
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