"I'm an Angry Black Woman. This is What I Want White People to Know."
A moving essay by Candace Howze. She inspired my protest sign for Monday's George Floyd protest in Wenatche, WA. Love her conclusion:
"We do not live in separate worlds, although it often feels like we do. We live in the same country with the same news, it’s all a matter of whether you choose to take action.
"If you want this to stop happening and you’re white, this is your fight too.
"This requires your courage and conviction.
"This is your demon to kill.
"What you do in times of crisis reflects your truth."
"Racism exists because white colonists decided hundreds of years ago to dominate a land full of native people who were minding their own business and then to kidnap people from another continent to labor mercilessly without compensation for their economic gain. And every turn of events since, every snippet of progress thereafter, has been twisted to maintain the economic and social hierarchy that existed the day America became America."
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I am surrounded by angry Black women and listening to them isn't enough.
BitFlipper
Level 8
June 4, 2020
1
I think that is incredibly powerful. It is our demon to kill. I am doing a lot of anti bias anti racism work with my colleagues and it is not up to black people to do this work. We need to change.
GreatNani
Level 8
June 3, 2020
1
It isn't up to just the USA to change, the rest of us in the G7 have to as well. Recent studies of mine indicate that in America a more socialist (don't confuse that with communist) distribution of resources must take place like what we have in the EU, Canada and Australasia. Yes this would involve greater federal involvment to ensure that black and Hispanic neighbourhoods are funded the same as others. In the meantime black and Hispanic areas have a developed a very self destructive culture of social failure. They need to feel 'American', and not outsiders to their own nation and states. Start with equal education.
EVERYONE needs to VOTE, vote AGAINST that oresidential orangutan/mass-murderer-in-chief/self-admitted SEXUAL PERVERT whose cheated on ALL THREE WIVES this coming November....
BUT
"VOTE...Vote Safely"
CarlosG903
Level 6
June 3, 2020
2
I do not understand why there are bad cops. The Police work for the people to protect life and property, this is what they tell you. So if there is a policeman who is hired by a Police Department and he is found to be a bad cop, why is he there? The costs for having this person do what it is that they want to do are astronomical. The Department that hires a bad cop becomes responsible for his actions. When the cop does something and the Department gets sued and has to pay to defend themselves, they have to pay any damages against the Department. As the cases can be settled for millions of dollars this means the Department, or its insurance company, has to pay. Where is the good in this for the Department, for the community being policed. How do these people get hired and how do they keep their jobs?
Department to be sued out of existence. What difference would it make, they are getting paid to not do their job. Go find someone else to pay for that.
dalefvictor
Level 8
June 3, 2020
1
I have been looking into the mirror a lot this past week.
indirect76
Level 7
June 3, 2020
3
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.
Elie Wiesel
bklynite53
Level 7
June 3, 2020
3
Yes! Let's kill all the racism demons. (Including the one in the White House.)
BestWithoutGods
Level 8
June 3, 2020
2
No one deserves to die in police custody!
That being said, if the police don't prevent deaths then we must. Here is what we can do. 1) Have that talk most Black parents have with their teenagers which is:
A) When stopped by the P.D. keep your hands in plain sight.
B) Do not run from the police.
C) Do not fight the police.
D) Comply with orders given by the police.
I think it is most likely George Floyd never got that talk. I'm sure he would be alive today if he had simply complied with orders.
dare2dream
Level 7
June 3, 2020
2
Do white folks have to have that talk to their white children? Do white folks have to walk on eggshells when around the police?
There shouldn't have to be "that talk". Also, that doesn't guarantee that they won't be killed by cops. Ask Botham Jean and Breonna Taylor. Oh wait, you can't because they were killed by the police.
I disagree with your last statement. It is at least somewhat likely that Chauvin sought to kill Floyd given the totally inappropriate positioning of Floyd to be somewhat hidden behind the wheels of the car and the other cops, and his previous work association with Floyd as the motive. I have heard no mention that the videos show any resistance on the part of Floyd. Floyd might be alive today if any of the other officers stopped Chauvin putting his knee on his neck, which is illegal on it's face.
seems easy for this white man to say
Stop blaming black people for being unfairly detained and murdered by police due to the color of their skin.
In 2018, my friend's 16 year-old son, Travis, and three male friends decided to illegally ride 20 miles on dirt bikes without lights at midnight. Their idea was to take a selfie in front of the newly opened Sportsman's Warehouse. They planned to split up and outrun the police.
Two police officers, male and female, were chasing Travis off-road. The policeman took out his gun. "I'm going to shoot out his back tire," he said. Bouncing along, he could have easily shot Travis. A blown tire at high speed could also kill Travis.
"Wait, I think I know his mother," the policewoman warned. Of course Travis and his mother are white. His mother cuts both of our hair.
While driving Travis to jail, the policewoman called his mother to tell her what happened and where Travis was going.
Do you think arrested blacks and Latinos get this courtesy?
JFC, you cannot be seriously blaming the victim here??????
@kiramea White folks SHOULD have that talk.
My point was, what can YOU do to lessen the chances of being a victim of police violence? Or, would you rather leave your fate to an unknown ploice officer?
@kiramea, @racocn8 You may be right! The point is we have heard only ONE side of this story so far. We have not seen body cam video or any video from start to finish so there are gaps were we can not know what happend. Maybe we are BOTH speculating and assuming so we have to wait for ALL the evidence to come out in a trial. Only a jury will have an INFORMED OPINION.
@seenoevil9620 You missed my point. What can YOU do to protect yourself? Or would you rather put your fate in an unknown plocie officer's hands?
@LiterateHiker You too missed my point.
@itsmedammit JFC! Do you really think that if you are stopped by the police that you can run or fight them and not expect consequenses?
I'll point out my first sentence was, "No one deserves to die in police custody!"
Do what YOU can do to protect yourselves. This is why Black parents have "The Talk".
What I believe is that their culture (the African, indigenous people and others that are different), needs to be respected. We do not need to be ‘alike’ to be valued. But, justice should be equally mitered out. And further...every little human error need not be punished by severe action! Dismantle the police state!
Freedompath
Level 9
June 3, 2020
5
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