The Security Of A Slave State

There are a few things that I wanted to comment on for a while and I’ve been taking my time to figure out how I feel about the police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.

We all know this story. There’s video evidence of police murdering Black people who have done nothing to warrant their deaths, there are #blacklivesmatters protests, government officials spewing the same platitudes, and the cops walk free without consequence. The justice systems fails Black people and this cycle of oppression continues.

It is not surprising that some people have resorted to taking up arms against police as was the case in Dallas. While I firmly believe killing cops is not the path to change, I also cannot place blame upon someone retaliating against police. After all, we live in a country where the Second Amendment is embraced whole-heartedly, and frankly, I cannot think of a class of people more oppressed by a tyrannical government than Black Americans.

You cannot have it both ways: have free access to assault weapons (in the spirit of defending against tyranny) and demand that Black people not use those rights to defend themselves against police forces dedicated to their destruction. But let’s call it what it is; those rights only apply to white people.

It immoral to demand that Black people merely stand silent, and be on good behavior, march peacefully and orderly as the badged specter of slavery continues to execute Black people. Protests should not follow the rules of the oppressors. Let’s be clear, the police and the legal system that defends the police, are the sole aggressors in this fight. They beat, they kill and they walk free of consequence. This failure of justice cannot stand. Riots and retaliation is not the end of law and order, it is a reaction to a lack of law and order. Breaking windows isn’t barbaric, cold-blooded murder is barbaric. The demands of #blacklivesmatters and people against the racist violence is a simple one: stop killing Black people.

Sadly, this reasonable demand seems to repeatedly fall on deaf ears. After all this is nothing new in America, phone cameras are new. Yet, being filmed doesn’t deter police from public executions. They are assured in their fraternal protection and their political connections. They know they will be valorized and protestors vilified. Their murders are out in the open, and even celebrated by a large percent of the population. By doing so, America vindicates the police who kill Black people and devalues Black lives.

If the police are presumed to be held to a higher standard of morality and authority, it is only fair to ask that they be held to more severe consequences when officers kill people. A start would be immediate suspension and a guaranteed trial. Perhaps something like mandatory minimum of 20 years for unjustly killing a civilian. After all, this seems to be such a good idea for low level drug dealers (just kidding). Or better than all of that; legally mandate that paying out lawsuits and settlements directly through the police pension funds. I have no doubt that the rate of officer-involved murders would plummet with a quickness.

This is of course, wishful thinking. It seems that we as a society are much more willing to court violence and build this out until we inevitably reach a tipping point where violence replaces peaceful protest.