Black Men Thought of as Problems before People
Over the past few years, the problem of white cops killing young black men has risen to the rate that it rattles my consciousness. It is no longer possible for me to ignore that as Javon Johnson puts it: “It's not about whether or not the shooter is racist. It's about how poor black boys are treated as problems, well before we're treated as people. Black boys in this country cannot afford to play Cops & Robbers if we're always considered the latter. [We] don't have the luxuries of playing war if we're already in one.”
I have largely remained silent on this issue. I have largely agreed with the perspective “let’s hear the whole story before we judge.” I was wrong. No matter what the whole story is, it is undeniable that young black men are more often targeted than most anyone else. It is undeniable that with VERY few exceptions (like a loaded gun in the cop’s face), it is not an appropriate to shoot a person DEAD. Yes, even if that person committed a crime, looked at someone the wrong way, is disrespectful, etc. We must come together against these sorts of injustices.
In fact, I on my Facebook page, on August 18, 2014, I posted, “Every time there is a new black victim of white authority, my white privilege becomes more impossible to ignore. #prayforFerguson” along with this link: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/08/incredibly-powerful-photo-taken-today-howard-university The link, as you can see is primarily moving images of black students and children, pointing out their vulnerability to the police. I was under the impression that this post of mine would be the opposite of controversial. I was wrong.
When I post against abortion on demand, against government unions, against gun rights, against purchasing animals from a pet store, I expect varying degrees of resistance from Facebook friends of mine, most of whom are far more liberal than I. However, what I did not expect was push back on the #prayforFerguson post. But I got it.
As expected, most of my Facebook friends were in support of my post. One (white male) poster was not. At all. In response, he typed (typos from original post, all paragraphs collapsed to one):
“You know cops kill white people too, right? If you don't believe me, I'll provide examples on request. Those stories somehow don't make the national news, because they don't play into the official media narrative of evil white racists killing innocent blacks. Also there's no subsequent looting to cover. For example, just a few months ago, the Albuquerque police department had a number of very questionable shootings, including one on video where they gun down an old guy camping in the hills despite him not doing anything aggressive. There were other cases as well. People put up a big stink, had big protests, cops brought out the riot gear and the tear gas and all that stuff. But you didn't hear about that one to a tenth of the degree that you hear about this Ferguson situation, despite their similarities. Why? Well it's simple; in ABQ, the cops were white and hispanic, the deceased were white and hispanic, and the protestors were white and hispanic. There's no "america is a white supremacist nation of racists intent on killing and subjugating blacks" story to be gotten out of ABQ. But in Ferguson, it can be played to the fullest. When a black cop shoots a black guy - is that a black victim of white authority? When a white cop shoots a white guy - is that a 'victim of white authority?' Of course not, because that doesn't stir up racial tension and stoke racial hatred, which is what a great deal of the media and cultural elite wish to do with these situations. Now of course, the liberal media narrative is already breaking down - video of Michael Brown stealing from a convenience store and assaulting the clerk moments earlier gives lie to the "gentle giant" story everyone tells. Video taken in the immediate aftermath of his death, while witnesses describe him assaulting and confronting the police officer, give lie to the "he was surrendering" story. The autopsy, showing he was shot only from the front, give lie to the other witnesses saying he was running away while shot. The fact that one of the main witnesses was his buddy who was with him while he robbed and assaulted certainly brings his credibility into question. But it doesn't matter - for those who want to believe, the story is already set in stone - racist white cop shoots black kid for no good reason, and it's all part of the white supremacist patriarchal capitalist structures that exist entirely to keep the black man down. There is plenty to be discussed and analyzed regarding the police response to this sort of thing - the whole self-investigation aspect where police say, "yeah we looked into it, our officer acted properly, nothing to see here", the militarized response to the unrest, the assaults on journalists and so on. But go rob a store and then try to bum rush a cop, and see if you are saved because of your white privilege. I have my doubts.”
My response started “Sure. White cops kill white people. I bet you can even find an example of a black cop who killed a black person at some point. However, I do not live in fear of the police. There is no systematic racism or hate that is a threat to people that look like me. Whether someone deserves to be arrested or apprehended or not DOES NOT justify being shot in the middle of the street, and left there for all to see. Ferguson is a black community policed by almost solely white cops who are armed and outfitted by military surplus. I'm not for conspiracy theories, but to deny that there is systematic racism against black people, particularly young black men, is willful ignorance.”
There is really little to be said further about the conversation, though the thread goes on and on until I finally decided to delete and block him for using foul language and even further jerkish remarks in response to friends and former students of mine. This discussion does draw me to this line of questioning, however: How can I, as a white woman, be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem? Is there a way? What can I say or do in response to others who think the way of the commenter on my Facebook post? Is there hope for us as a nation, as a culture? Am I allowed to have a voice on this issue?
~cls~
