Police Brutality

Police Brutality

I have seen, experienced and been made aware of police violence all of my life.  I know what it feels like to have a thug cop stick a rifle in my stomach while carrying a purchased bag with milk walking on a sidewalk.  Police violence is real.

When there is injustice, we must agitate, agitate, agitate.  Without the demonstrations these charges would not have been brought.  Those who complain about the looting must ask themselves, which is more important human lives or property.  I say human lives.  I do not endorse looting but as an academic who has studied these issues for fifty plus years it is obvious that looting and property damage always accompany large protests in large cities.   

Remember looting is celebrated in American history.  Every school child learns about the Boston Tea Party.  Those involved were looters, who destroyed property that was not theirs.   The implication of people complaining about looting is that looting is ok for White people seeking justice but African Americans do not have the same right.  Thinks about that.  African Americans have far more justification to protest and even revolt violently than the American colonist, many of who were brutal, savage, slave holders ever did.   George Washington was the wealthiest colonist in America.  He led the violent revolution and was a brutal slave holder.   We have the absolute right to revolt but From a practical standpoint it would be suicidal.  My point is the focus on looting as opposed to police murder is both in ingenuous and racist.   We must continue to be vigilant.

Today on MSNBC a leading NYPD police officer said that a police officer who pulled down a face mask of a non violent protester and sprayed mace in their face should not be punished.  This acceptantance and toleration of police crime by top officials is why we continue to have police brutality and murders.  There are plenty of good and decent officers.  I know some of them.  The problem is bad officer and bad leadership like we saw on TV today.   This is the problem.  He should be removed from his position as a result of his comments.