Black lives matter. I speak the phrase without qualifiers. No need for “all lives matter,” or “white lives matter.” That’s implied, and it’s not the point. Nor is it the time to change the subject. Not this soon. To add those qualifiers is to replace a black exclamation mark with white quote marks, to co-opt precisely the black call for equality of rights that the phrase implies with a white equivalence of abuse, casualty, and grief that simply does not exist except in the forgeries of white grievances.
In the context of the police killings of unarmed black men we’ve been witnessing with nauseating regularity for two years, what matters is to say precisely that black lives matter, because they seem to not, as they did not for 400 years, when the white killing of a black human being profited from the same immunity that licensed Christian killings of Jews in old Europe. We don’t have rampant anti-Semitism. Our rampant crime, descended from no less of a holocaust, is color-coded.
We may prefer to forget that past. It changes the subject. We may even have a right to. Times do change, and have changed a great deal. But times haven’t changed enough if it’s still a mortal danger just to be black, and it is, because parents of white children don’t have to warn them about what to do in a police encounter. Parents of black children do. And times haven’t changed enough if simply saying that black lives matter is perceived as an insurgent statement.
But that, too, is the history the phrase is struggling against–a history of assumption that as long as blacks keep their place, as long as they’re good Negroes (as whites prefer their Negroes: silent, submissive, playing by white rules), then all is fine. But the moment they stand up for themselves, the moment they protest or assert their humanity in the face of authority–the moment they go Malcolm on their tormentors–then they’re trouble-makers, they’re hate-filled, they’re thugs, that code word that now substitutes for the more inflammatory word white bigots used for centuries until it became impolitic even for them to use.
And in this world of white delusions, saying black lives matter, that noble, simple, unthreatening phrase that says nothing other than what it says, a three-word anthem to the dignity of inalienable rights, becomes an insult. It becomes Emmett Till looking at a white woman the wrong way.
There’s nothing new about the crisis. Blacks have been terrorized by cops for years. But just as fax machines broke the hinges in the Iron Curtain in the decade’s run-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, so today social media is giving us for the first time a view into police brutality unfiltered by the old falsehood of a cop’s unfailing word. We just don’t know if that honorable blue line that’s grown into a wall will actually fall. The rare indictments that follow those killings suggest not. At least not yet. It takes talking about it. It takes not changing the subject.
Various rattlers of denial desperately want not only to change the subject, but to lynch it. As with the fool who this week, taking a break from manicuring the Trump signs on his lawn, complained to Palm Coast government that a Black Lives Matter fund-raising paver appearing among the bricks at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation represents–in his Ebola-wormed vocabulary–an “anti-American, anti-white, anti-Semitic, anti-police, anarchist hate ‘organization.’” He wanted the city to have the paver removed. Not that it was for the city to decide (it was not: the decision was the arts foundation’s, and its president took the right stand to spurn the bigotry), but the city put the brick brain in his place anyway. “We intend to treat everyone with respect and try to keep the peace and harmony in our community,” City Manager Jim Landon wrote him. “We would ask that you do the same.”
The man’s errant ignorance would not be anything to worry about if it didn’t echo that hiss of hate directed at the black lives matter movement across the country, and amplified by the likes of Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani, New York’s twin twiddlers of bile. Giuliani’s way of changing the subject this week was to call the movement “racist” and lecture Bill Cosby-like about black-on-black crime.
Black-on-black crime is an issue. There’s room for that discussion. But not as a tactic to divert from the crisis at hand. Even when five cops are murdered in a sniper attack by a black terrorist who thinks he was retaliating for something. The attack–by a trained sniper and military veteran of our twice-failed wars–was heinous, like the execution-style murder of two NYPD cops in their car in 2014. But these killings aren’t the rule. They’re the perverted blowback of a perversion, the all-too routine killing of unarmed black men by armed police.
Cops are owed all the appreciation and respect their profession commands. Blacks are owed their right to life. The two are not mutually exclusive. Cops are more admired, beloved and supported than implies the narrative of spurned victimhood they disseminate with every killing, as if they were today’s equivalent of spit-upon Vietnam vets in the early 70s. They’re not. Locally you need go no further than last Thursday’s vigil for the Dallas cops at Palm Coast’s Elks Club or next Monday’s “Backing the Blue” fundraiser at European Village to see the throngs of support those events are getting, compared to the fractional–and factional–support their equivalent in the black community are getting. Unsurprising exceptions aside, I doubt any of the politicians and candidates for office pandering at the cops’ events will deign appear in company of the Black Lives Matter marchers in Bunnell Sunday. But “The Final Inspection,” a poem read at the Elks vigil, doesn’t apply to white soldiers alone.
Nor does it displace “Between the World and Me.” It’s not a competition. But certain differences matter, especially when they falsely color perceptions, and when those falsehoods then absurdly paint cops as the victims and blacks as the aggressors. Exceptions to the rule don’t excuse Giuliani-like table-turning oiled by slurs. So it’s not showing less admiration for the overwhelming majority of cops who do their work honorably every day to say that black lives matter. But it is denying black lives their right to exist in dignity when they can’t even say those words without being branded racists or thugs. The pot has rarely so tragically, so ironically called the kettle black.
And so I’ll say it again without qualifiers or excuses: black lives matter.
Pierre Tristam is FlaglerLive’s editor. Reach him by email here or follow him @PierreTristam. A version of this piece aired on WNZF.
dave says
Black lives matter
Anonymous says
Unfortunately until black people stop segregating themselves nothing is going to change.
Unfortunately until we instill more respect toward authority nothing is going to change.
Unfortunately until everyone realizes that cops are human nothing is going to change .
Unfortunately there are good and bad people and that is not going to change.
Fortunately we as parents can change the future of society but raising children with good morals . We have to teach children that the color of our skin has nothing to do with being a good or a bad person.
We have to teach our children to respect authority , listen to the law and comply. There will always be bad apples in every profession but we have to teach our children that we are all humans .
My2Cents says
THANK YOU!!!!!
Wonderingwhy says
Good story Pierre …. There seems to be two sides and nobody willing to meet in the middle..the lack of outreach by the sheriffs office is the direct reflection of the insensitivity to matters that are going on in real time across America … They were asked about community policing and they did not have an answer for it .. Well the answer was “it has fallen to the wayside” you drive around town and you won’t see one Deputy in the less privileged areas unless he is serving a warrant …just because you create a program that is supposed to bring people together doesn’t mean they will all come together …. The leaders are out of touch and the candidate that will win will be the one who actually does something about the question of community policing / community outreach !!
Insidejob says
“Black lives matter.” The statement itself is not problematic..it’s factual, black lives DO matter, just as much as white lives. What IS problematic is the false narrative that surrounds it.
You’re hard pressed to find anyone who will tell you that police are “anti-male” and that they kill men at “alarming rates”. Yet, this year approximately 485 men have been killed by police, and only 25 or so women. Why the great disparity??? Why are we not alarmed? The reason is because we accept the fact (so much so that we don’t even think about it) that men are more aggressive, commit more crimes, and are therefore more likely to have negative interactions with police.
The above paragraph isn’t sexist, it’s a fact. We all know it. We all realize it, like I said, so much that we don’t even think about it.
Here’s a thing that no one thinks about, and that there is no verified statistic for. I will go ahead and throw one out there, based on my numerous years of police experience in this country. Probably 80-90% of crime related 911 calls are about males committing crimes. This makes sense, since more men than women commit crimes. This also continues to make sense, when you look further down the line, and see that the overwhelming majority of those killed by police are males.
Now, keep all that in mind and think about this. If black males are committing more crime per capita than white males, why is it a surprise to anyone that more black males are shot by police per capita? The correlation is there. To present a number and say, “this is how many black males were killed by police” is irresponsible. It insinuates that there is no other factor besides their race. It also insinuates that all black males who are shot, should not have been shot. While some of them should not have been shot, when “bad” shootings are the exceptions…unacceptable, but definitely not the rule.
In urban mostly black neighborhoods, the police are called to intervene more times than in white neighborhoods. The very citizens who call the police are mostly black themselves. The reason those black citizens typically call, is to report crime by other black citizens (usually males). The sheer number of reactive police encounters involving black males, is enough to explain any discrepancy in why black males are shot (per capita) more than white males.
No one ever touches on these things. No media covers, or cares to cover, white males shot by police. I would love to see, over the last 4 years or so, a statistic about media coverage regarding the law enforcement shootings of black and white males. Without seeing such a graphic, one could reasonably conclude that white police shooting black men, is reported on more frequently, and more negatively than any other type of shooting. For example, if a black officer shoots a white robber, the headline would likely read “Police shoot armed robber. If a white officer shoots a black robber…the headline is much more likely to be race baiting.
The media has been very irresponsible in how they have reported these things as of late. Portraying police shootings as an epidemic, when it is anything but, gives life to large protests which turn violent. Portraying police as the enemy creates more disdain, and encourages African Americans not to comply with police. This in turn leads to more issues, more division, more police shootings. We need to stop assuming and reporting that the police were in the wrong, until that is determined to be the case.
Black lives matter, but black lives also have a responsibility to comply with police, just like everyone else. Compliance is the absolute key to lowering the number of police involved shootings.
In no way is this post intended to minimize any true victims of unjustified police violence.
Steve Robinson says
Pierre, so well said. And a tip of the hat to Landon and to the Arts Council for understanding the meaning of free speech and respect for all of Palm Coast’s citizens.
dave says
The police have a responsibility to gain the trust of the people, not the other way around. To simply say that compliance with police is the answer is outrageous. You can not expect compliance when there is no respect or trust gained.
John F. Pollinger says
Pierre,
When near the beginning of your article you state, “In the context of the police killings of unarmed black men we’ve been witnessing with nauseating regularity for two years” you included a hyperlink I believe, to validate this blanket statement.
Most people will not take the time to go to this site…yet I challenge everyone to actually look. Read who is behind it and see how it is formatted to substantiate your statement. In each and every instance listed, it clearly lists “No officers were charged with a crime for killing…… “ as if to say a police officer got away with some heinous offense.
If one were to scroll down the lists without doing anything else, it would appear that police officers are involved in the wholesale slaughter of people for no justifiable reason. Yet take even more time and start clicking on the links of the names and actually read the stories. You will find it lists a number instances of people wanted for attempted murder, armed people and even a domestic argument where one person happens to be an off duty police officer.
Other stories include car crashes that occurred during the course of a police officer engaged in a pursuit or responding to an emergency call. Yet somehow these instances aim to validate their statistic the person killed was “unarmed black person killed by police”. Can anyone actually believe a police officer intentionally rammed his or her car into another because just prior to the moment of impact, noticed the person was black?
Astonishingly, it even lists as an “unarmed black person killed by police”…. a man who, after having an argument with his girlfriend, walked out onto Interstate 75 and was struck by a passing police vehicle. In yet another example, the website lists as an “unarmed black person killed by police” who was a passenger in a vehicle when the driver made a left hand turn into the path of an oncoming vehicle that happened to be a police car. Seriously? The passenger in a vehicle is killed after the driver turns into the path of an oncoming police vehicle and according to this website becomes an unarmed black person killed by police?
You made solid arguments in your article but they are diminished when you include a link to a website that intentionally distorts and contorts numbers by claiming “102 unarmed black people killed by police in 2015.”
There may in fact be questionable police involved shootings on their site that require further reading; but frankly, I gave up after reading some of their “findings”.
We walk past each other in a parking lot, not acknowledging each other’s existence even for a moment, yet we can’t understand why barriers exist. Each of us can start with one smile, one word of kindness or one simple positive expression that the other person you pass in life is no different than yourself. Try it.
Pierre Tristam says
John, you’re right about that link, which should have (as it now does) linked to the Washington Post’s deeper analysis of shootings (93 unarmed in 2015). The Post’s “Fatal Force” series won the Pulitzer in 2015. Its reliability is fairly established. The Guardian has an equally valid piece on the “uncounted” and its follow-up.
Fredrick says
Good article if only you good sight some facts that would show “police killings of unarmed black men we’ve been witnessing with nauseating regularity for two years” and ” the all-too routine killing of unarmed black men by armed police” is any higher than it has been at any other time, or is statistically higher than any other race, or statistically higher than those that have police interaction. That’s the false hood of this entire movement. To take a narrative of “hands up don’t shoot” that was false, or show the nice high school photo of a full grown man that did not follow police orders and tried to take his gun. The killing of anyone by a police officer is a shame. If not justified then the person who did the killing should obviously be brought before the court.
Good article Mr. Tristan other than the facts not supporting it.
‘
Brian says
“Blacks have been terrorized by cops for years”. The “all-too routine killing of black men by police”. Huh? Black-on black crime is an “issue”. Huh? I have yet to see any police department or law enforcement agency hold a “no justice, no peace ” rally, yet the police have far greater grounds for racial complaint than say, Black Lives Matter. From 2000 to 2012 60% of all cop killers were black, even though they are only 13.5% of the population. That fact is not allowed in polite company, however, because race-baiting is tolerated in only one direction. Our neighbor to the north, Jacksonville, has a homicide tracker in the local paper – they are at 65 so far – one every three days – and 97% are black on black shootings. Chicago had 54 shootings over the 4th of July WEEKEND – you guessed it: 97% black on black. Where was NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox News? The fact is, the black-on-black killings are just dog-bites-man stories, too much a part of the normal order of things to be newsworthy. Justified police shootings comprise a FRACTION of homicides of blacks, and unjustified shootings an almost imperceptible fraction of homicides of blacks, which are overwhelmingly committed by OTHER BLACKS. Yep, that’s an “issue”. The miscreants and malcontents of Black Lives Matter have achieved two of their major goals – to create chaos and gain media attention. The largely left-wing media turns out in full force to lovingly document every gesture of black rage. The majority of the “victims” killed by police, from Michael Brown on down, either defied, resisted, threatened or challenged the officer in some manner. And as far as parent(s) of black children having to warn their children of the police, therein lies a huge part of the problem – 75% of black men, or children in general are born out of wedlock and grow up with no family structure, and are running the streets at an early age. I understand how Pierre and others wish things were different, and are passionate about wanting change, but none of that changes the facts – facts are stubborn things. I appreciate your consideration of this opposing point of view.
GM2 says
I treat everyone with respect regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual preference or any other qualifiers. The thing that disturbs me about the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is that it sounds very exclusive as if no other lives matter. I raised 3 sons and I taught them to treat everyone with respect, especially their elders and persons in positions of authority such as teachers and yes, police officers. Anyone, regardless of race, who is not having that talk with with their children (especially in view of current events) is not doing a very good job of parenting.
As far as incidents involving a white policeman shooting a black individual – of course they are more widely reported because that’s the kind of news that sells papers. White on white and black on black and even black on white doesn’t make the news, because this is not the kind of news which incites people.
I heard an interesting statistic recently which stated the number of individuals killed by policemen (I’m not going to repeat the statistic because I’m not sure of its validity), but that would provide an interesting comparison. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THESE FIGURES ARE?
Liv says
Fatal Force: A Washington Post Investagation of people shot and killed by Police 2016
White 242
Black 129
Hispanic 80
Other 23
Unknown orgin 48
Knightwatch says
There’s no information, no data, no argument than anyone can present that world convince true conservatives that there’s a problem with the deaths of black men and women at the hands of law enforcement officers. To the true conservative, those people would be alive today if they had been taught to have (white?) morals and respect for authority. That’s the simple answer. If you blacks would just show proper respect when officers pull you over for inoperable lights, or failure to signal lane changes or because you “resemble a suspected robber” or you panic and run (all real examples!), you will not have a problem… except when you’re shot repeatedly in the back as you run, or you’re roughly pulled from your car, thrown to the ground and immediately shot dead, or you reach for your license when ordered to do so and you’re immediately shot dead, or you fail to show both hands because you’re frightened and confused with everyone shouting, and you’re immediately shot dead. Wonder why this stuff very seldom happens to white guys… hmmm.
We have many fine brave law enforcement officers. But we have many overly aggressive, poorly trained, ill motivated and racist officers out there, too. Until we root out these misfits, we will continue to witness the public execution of innocent black citizens, respectful or not.
W.Ryan says
For goodness sake, the iron hearts these comments this article spawned. Unfortunately denial is the privilege of power and control and ignorance. As a LEO of color I had a hard time fielding my complaints in many instances. Being run off the road by a transit GMC going home after my shift simply because I was black isn’t enough. When I went to the district of the two cops to complain I was dismissed in such a way that after being forced to sit for over an hour I left angrily. Something has to change. Thanks Pierre for putting these words in print so clearly!
dave says
How can anyone think that the phrase “black lives matter” somehow implies other lives do not? I believe you must have underlying racist tendencies if you can distort that into a meaning anything other than what it states.
John F. Pollinger says
Thank you Pierre.
I do not want to continue a back and forth and get off the main thrust of your article. I have looked at the links you provided in which those links led to other links to support their data. In some instances, yet again, Facce Book pages and links to sites touting outrageous numbers and more links include police, security guards and even vigilantes in their totals to bolster numbers.
The Post data however, showed, for example, “that about one-quarter of those fatally shot had a history of mental illness; that most of those killed were white men (although unarmed African Americans were at vastly higher risk of being shot after routine traffic stops than any other group); and that 55 officers involved in fatal shootings in 2015 had previously been involved in a deadly incident while on duty.”
According to The Post, “Another important finding: The vast majority (74 percent) of people shot and killed by police were armed with guns or were killed after attacking police officers or civilians or making direct threats. This finding countered the impression left by several high-profile fatalities that police routinely use excessive force. Staff writer Kimberly Kindy reported many of the major pieces.”
Perhaps if the federal government would move forward on the proposal to accurately document and report these encounters, we would gain a better understanding in both the community and law enforcement alike.
I still dispute police killings of unarmed black men are occurring with “nauseating regularity” for two years. Nor has it happened as “all-too routine” as you claim. Has it happened? Yes…..have all of us jumped to conclusions (both pro and con) immediately before an investigation has been completed? Yes. Is just one unjustified death at the hands of a police officer too much? Yes…..because it can never be undone.
We live in a world of instant judgement….I hear politicians asking us to be patient for all of the facts to come to light so many times in a variety of issues, yet we instantly judge right or wrong, the actions of the police or the actions of a person at the other end of a cop’s gun for that matter.
I fault the leadership of the agencies for not holding press conferences and answering at least SOME of the questions raised. I have yet to hear from the police leaders of the agencies involved recently in the two shootings. I never heard from the (now gone) chief in Ferguson except to point out something negative before the shooting. Yet Face Book is filled with opinions on both sides as to who is to blame. Videos captured in these two incidents only show the aftermath of the initial encounter…and nothing from the leaders to validate or not, the actions taken by their officers. Utter SILENCE!
BLM came about after Trayvon Martin was killed by a lunatic with a gun….he was and still is. Yet the false narrative of “Hands up don’t shoot” from Ferguson exists because law enforcement leadership never got ahead of this. It took months for the Attorney General to finally dispel the lie….but too late for it to become fact by default.
I still take exception to the original (now removed) BLM mission statement….such as the release of “political prisoners” among other outrageous claims. To me, it diluted the movement from the start and caused me to question the motives.
One movement organizer on CNN the other day spoke of 578 people killed by the police yet the comment was left unchallenged by the anchor as though they were unarmed or executed at the hands of law enforcement.
The President of the United States publicly stated “the movement shouldn’t be judged by a few “non-peaceful protesters”. I agree….but shouldn’t that apply equally to all sides of the equation?
“Black-on-black crime is an issue…there’s room for discussion” and it is used by many as a diversion. But a discussion must take place. It frustrates me that so many in today’s society see the answer to being “dissed” is a gun. That the hopelessness of so many dissolves in the belief there is a self-fulfilling prophecy that their OWN lives no longer matter and believe they are going to die anyway at the hands of another. Such despair.
Yet there are many local organizers in those urban areas who are trying to change at least, the mentality that shooting down one another is simply a way of life. But where are the national leaders, both in the political and civic mainstream speaking out to these efforts?
There is no denying some undercurrent of racism in law enforcement percolates just below the service and behind those badges that HAVE to be rooted out. When law enforcement leadership laughs, smirks or allows racist, homophobic or any other disparaging jokes or comments about “others” it signals to everyone in the agency that their conduct is permitted or condoned with a wink of the eye.
Law enforcement leadership must stand up and recognize the reality exists. Police are the most visible symbol of government at its best and at its worst. There are far too many law enforcement leaders ill-equipped in mentality or skills to instill fairness and equal justice to the most vulnerable people they are supposed to protect from harm.
Veteran says
Black lives matter is a racist statement. ALL LIVES MATTER!
Notaracist says
Eventually the non black people will get tired of being lumped in with the racists pinheads and when that happens we are going to stand up for ourselves we have been bending over backwards and putting up with the double standards a long time, black lives do matter ….. too, as do Arab, Asian, Hispanic, and so on. Don’t let a protest turn into a reason to hate or riot and loot. Do it truelly peacefully without disrupting traffic or causing chaos and guess what? We might listen. Must of us white people do care what happens to our fellow human beings. What someone else did yesterday I did not do then nor today. Peace.
Yar says
Didn’t LE in Baltimore cut back engagements after the shooting up there and murder rate increased by hundreds as a result this year? Never seem to hear about ‘those lives’ tho, likely because it requires a thought process of more than a protozoa.
woodchuck says
What I don”t understand is that the “stats” show more whites are killed by police than blacks.Blacks killed by blacks are more than 90%.Double standered?I don”t know what to believe.How many whites and blacks have been shot by police with hands up and complying with police instead of “tusseling” with them?
Anonymous says
In the case of the last two police shootings of black men, these men did not comply and if they had,
things would have ended in a completely different manner.
Cops don’t like shooting at people. The media does not portray both sides of things. Both investigations are not complete..
Comply even if you think they are wrong. If you are in the right you ll have a heck of a lawsuit…
They are there to protect us. They are human. They have to look our for themselves too. Alton Sterling had a gun.
Enough says
1964….Washington D.C…………….Playing baseball with 10 white players along the Potomac river, we where “jumped by 40 blacks and stabbed. 3 died..I survived…………….
My Life Matters
Born and Raised Here says
72 percent of Black children are raised by a single parent, with 84 percent having no male figure in there lives. Without a sound family structure in a good family home places a tremendous burden on a Black child today to grow up and become a prominent provider to our community. Black Lives do Matter, but a Good Family Upbringing lays foundation.
Barry Hartmann says
How about the “for profit news media ” stop with the white cop kills black man and black man kills white man line. How about a person unfortunately killed another person. Oh! I forgot that’s not a good headline. Until we all stop, including Obama, using the black and white as a tag line we will never get on a path to reduce raceism in this country.
FlaglerLive says
Barry, FlaglerLive is a non-profit news service. Your contributions are tax-deductible.
karma says
Let’s not forget that BLM took root in 2013 after the Tryvon Martin shooting. Problem is, it took root on falsehoods. It was proven that the Hispanic neighborhood watch captain killed Martin in self defense. George Zimmerman was cleared by a jury of his peers. The US Justice department also investigated the matter and did not charge him.
In 2014, Michael Brown was killed by a white police officer. Again, it was proven beyond a shadow of doubt that Brown did not get shoot in the back, but it was self defense of the cop.The grand jury did not charge the officer nor did the US justice department.
George Zimmerman was told to stay in his car and did not. Micheal Brown was told to stop and he did not. Look at how these cases stem from not doing what their told. It sure looks to me the gentleman in Baton Rouge did not follow orders from the cops. The cop in Minnesota should be in jail already by the looks of the video.
Even a black Harvard professor disproved the white cop shootings of blacks. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/11/no-racial-bias-police-shootings-study-harvard-prof/
GM2 says
John – excellent response.
If you noticed in liv’s response the stats from the washington post’s investigation – fatal force, which pierre lauds as a pulitzer prize winner, indicate that almost twice as many whites are killed by police officers as blacks; and yet we are concerned at the frequency of black men killed by police officers.
And yet I hear the slogan that black lives matter – well of course they do. But it appears we need to put a little more emphasis on the fact that white lives also matter as well as brown lives, yellow lives and yes also blue lives.
Anonymous says
Black lives matter is a racist statement. I don’t care how you explain it. The statement itself excludes all other races. It was born out of the Michael Brown situation where he assaulted a police officer and lost his life because he was raised to believe he could put his hands on an officer. All Lives Matter. Period.
How many laws and regulations have been put in place in our society to protect certain races and classes of people? Instead of treating us all as humans and applying the laws equally, our government goes out of its way to segregate all of us.
Pierre, the real problem is we do not get outraged at the things that divide us. As white people shouldn’t opress other races, the black community shouldn’t have NAACP, Affirmative Action, etc. These organizations only make people “get along” for fear of retaliation from the law. It creates resentment not unity. I do not understand how our government ever though that these institutions would bring us together.
Bc. says
People do some research on this subject WHITES are shot and killed by police 2x more than blacks. That’s a fact look it up. All life’s matter I see black lifes matter as a racist movement. Everyone is racists except black folks.
Geezer says
It’s been hot up here in New England, so much so that simple exercising has
really knocked the heck out of me. I went for a jog/power-walk that encompassed
a high school track and surrounding neighborhood. After the exhausting walk
where I returned to my car in the deserted high school parking lot, I was too tired to
completely get in. My legs were dangling out of the car and I was sweating profusely.
A police SUV from my town was heading right towards me, and I took out my wallet
just to have it ready. It was a one-man patrol, and I looked at the officer and waved
at him with a friendly mug. He seemed amazed that I waved at him. (In this part of
the country, people don’t wave as in the south.) He waved back, changed course and
kept going! I looked suspicious as heck, I reckoned. So I was pleasantly surprised.
I actually said to myself: “good thing I’m white.” I felt odd having silently uttering those
words. My wife has many friends in her church, many are black, and are trusting and
candid with us when recounting stories of “driving while black.” One particular lady
who is about 61, is routinely pulled over while driving her innocuous Honda Odyssey.
She has learned to not hang her left arm out the window when driving on warmer days.
This nice lady is particularly dark-complected. This year she’s been stopped 3 times
during daylight hours, and followed by police cars even more.
Her husband who is light-complected, never gets pulled over. He’s a white guy until
you look at his features closely. He can hang his arm out the window. When they drop
in in us for a brunch, our neighbors stare blankly at us until I ask: “can I help you?”
Those of you who object to this “Black Lives Matter” article have never experienced
the pervasive, and sometimes subtle bigotry that dark-skinned people face. You don’t
need a “White Lives Matter” article because white is such a cheerful and convenient
color! It is for me!
If I was black, I’d be pulled over all the time because I drive at the speed limit, and seem
“suspiciously careful.” If I had a son or daughter, I’d be terrified of them being pulled over
and possibly shot.
“Sir, do you know how black you were driving?”
I am sure that most people are racist to a certain degree. It’s such an ugly trait that we
should always try to suppress those unfair thoughts.
Cops are people like us, and suffer from this deep-seated bias. Even black cops profile
fellow blacks, especially if they’re darker than they are. Just donning a police uniform won’t
cure you of your biases. This problem will never go away, so articles like this will always be
necessary to provoke your mind. I guess we’ll need a “Mexican Lives Matter” article soon.
Driving while Mexican gets you pulled over even more in my lily-white town.
Sun tans are a bad thing here. They make you “Hispanic” looking..
Time for some more SPF-80 sunblock. I haven’t been pulled over for almost thirty years.
Thank you Coppertone!
Me: I’m no saint, but I dislike everybody equally.
PeachesMcGee says
There is only one race…the human race.
Ws says
White lives matter. Period. Cops lives matter. Period.
daveT says
Pierre regardless what your article notes, All Lives Matter. In the military every life mattered black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Mixed. And that’s how I feel in the US, every life has to matter, its the bad ones that screw it up for the rest of the good lives
theevoice says
BLACK LIVES DONT SEEM TO MATTER TO BLACKS!!
Moreno says
All Lives Matter, Look what happen in Baton Rouge, La. three officer dead three wounded so who lives matter. These Police Officers do a great job and lets give them credited and respect them. lets pray for them and thre family.
DaveT says
Three Baton Rouge police officers were killed and three others wounded today.
Phillip King says
Thanks Pierre for the article. The race relations between law enforcement and African Americans has not only existed for two years, but realistic existed from 1865 onward. However, these national events are not a reflection on our local departments. We have had the historical treatment from the police culture, but it hadn’t resulted in deaths. I am grateful to live in a county where are local relationships and treatments can serve as a national model of practices.
And yes there is room for improvements here locally, but again we truthfully have not had to deal with the kinds of problems that we witness in the media on a daily basis.
Now having said that, a lot of folks are couch coaching. You don’t see it here locally and you have know idea what its like in other communities where the combination of FEAR and/or RACISIM is embedded into the policing culture. You have no clue because you are privilege to close your eyes and live in a make believe world where everything is as you imagine.
Unfortunately, we have never been afforded such luxuries of an imagination.
BLACKLIVESMATTER is not a statement it is a movement that brings awareness to very realities I have stated. If BLM sounds offensive and Bluelivesmatter or AllLivesMatter doesn’t, the only difference is the word BLACK.
DaveT says
Montrell Jackson, Black Police officer shot by a black man in Baton Rouge
Matthew Gerald, White Police Officer shot by a black man in Baton Rouge
Brad Garafola, White White Police Officer shot by a black man in Baton Rouge
Heroes that work every day to defend the public against crime. There is good and bad, nobody is allowed to judge and kill someone “just because”.
flagler1 says
Every black citizen in the United States has the same civil rights as any white citizen.
Knightwatch says
flagler1, you just don’t get it.
Knightwatch says
Dave T… Police killed at least 102 unarmed black people in 2015, nearly twice each week. Nearly 1 in 3 black people killed by police in 2015 were identified as unarmed. 37% of unarmed people killed by police were black in 2015 despite black people being only 13% of the U.S. population. Unarmed black people were killed at 5 times the rate of unarmed whites in 2015. Only 10 of the 102 cases in 2015 where an unarmed black person was killed by police resulted in officer(s) being charged with a crime. Want some names of unarmed blacks killed by police? Here’s a few.
Matthew Ajibade
Eric Harris
Bettie Jones
Keith Childress
Kevin Matthews
Tiara Thomas
Roy Nelson
Nathaniel Pickett
Miguel Espinal
But, you get the point, don’t you?
dave says
These people saying all Lives matter have no clue, who ever said white lives don’t matter? No one, ever, that’s who, you must have racist tendencies if that’s what you think.
Sherry says
Pierre. . . another excellent article! Geezer. . . a great story that points out the tremendous depth (to childhood roots) of prejudice that is absolutely pervasive in the USA, and most Western cultures.
I would pose this question to all those who have commented so very passionately on this article and on this subject: How many of you have actually ever invited a person of color in your home? If you have not actually created a relationship with anyone who has a different skin color, you then know nothing of their struggles with massive prejudice during each and every moment of their lives.
How would YOU like to live your lives in an alien land . . . one where, although your ancestors for generations were born there, you are perceived by the majority of citizens as INFERIOR in many different ways? An alien land where simply the color of your skin categorizes you one of “THEM”. . . the “OTHER”
who is automatically judged as “violent”, “hostile”, “criminal” , “less intelligent”, “immoral”, “lazy”. . . etc. One where the majority race hides behind “equality laws” they have passed in order to tell themselves they have erased the prejudice, racism and bigotry against you. . . BUT, the reality is that those with your skin color are NOT given EQUAL access to high quality education or jobs, and they are much more harshly punished by the courts for similar offences. Yes, the law speaks of equal justice but the enforcement of the law is all too often much more brutal against those with your skin color.
Ask yourself, is it MORALLY RIGHT to speak out in harsh judgement of those with a different skin color without ever really seeing them as brothers and sisters of the human race, or without making any effort at all to walk a mile in their shoes?
Our sisters and brothers of color are quite simply crying out saying “our lives matter” because they and their ancestors have been unjustly and terribly oppressed by the MAJORITY race in the USA.
GM2 says
To Knightwatch – twice as many whites were killed by police officers during that period – and your point is?
A little Common Sense please says
Everyone on both sides needs to remain calm. If a race war starts then Obama will declare Marshall Law. He will have UN troops here{mostly eastern European} who will not hesitate to kill any American Black or White. They don’t like us. Elections will be suspended, so guess who stays in office. The department of Homeland Security just purchased 1.6 BILLION BULLETS and 2700 armored personal carriers- for what?
Hang on, it’s going to be a wild ride the next few months.
Knightwatch says
GM2 – My point is that unarmed blacks are killed by police at a far greater rate, 5 times, than are unarmed whites.
Don’t you think that’s a bit questionable?
Sherry says
GM2 and all those who misunderstand the statistics on the number of black vs whites killed by police. The calculation should always include the percentage of the population as a whole. Less than 15% of the people in the USA are black. Therefore the number of blacks killed by police is quite alarming!
Geezer says
Sherry:
Some folks don’t possess mathematical acumen, my dear.
It’s been a while since I say “hello.”
So here goes: Hello there globetrotter!
Geezer says
I see some Newsmax subscribers posting here.
I love the mention of martial law.
But, I don’t know what the hell “Marshall Law” is.
Was this a contrivance of Thurgood Marshall?
Dinner must be served at 1800 hours?
Is that Marshall Law?
:-o
Sherry says
I, too, was struck by the complete fear mongering in the comments from the avid FOX/Newsmax followers. How very terrible and tragic for those that live their lives in such paranoia. . . arming themselves against the “OTHER”. . . waiting for “doomsday”, while hiding under the bed with a heart filled with fear and hate. What a pitiful life for any human being!
Dear Geezer, Nancy, Knightwatch, Pierre et al. . . loving greetings from beautiful Brittany, in the countryside near Brest. Yes, we were very near Nice for two weeks before the horrific attack there, but we moved on just in time, and we are fine. . . enjoying all things so wonderful in Europe.
Richard Kreitenstein says
Sorry, but I am not a proponent of “White Guilt” as is writer of this article. And that is what this article is – an exercise in bewailing ‘whiteness,’ playing to liberal-instilled ‘White Guilt,’ a politically correct tirade against things white.
We are NOT evil, monsters, as we are here being portrayed in this ranting, extremely bigoted article.
SMH … pathetic, really.