You People, Those People, We People

We are a nation of diverse people.  Too many times we react negatively to the differences between them and us, be it social, economic, or cultural differences.  To bad because we are one United States of America.  I find myself asking, “Are we the crazy ones, we capable, educated, caring folk?” 

Jai's Art Speaking To Me

Social media is filled with personal perspective about the recent killing of a young black man by the police. Unfortunately it’s old news as it keeps happening to black men.

Today there is blame, crying and verbal head shaking about the rioting and destruction going on in Ferguson, Missouri.  It’s the backfire from the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown by local police (no argument on that fact).  I’m inclined to feel compassion for the rioting as an expression of grief for the horrendous racial injustice that continues for black men in this nation. Think Trayvon Martin.

First news reports told me Michael, this latest victim, was 17 years old and unarmed.  Now I see in several sources, he was 18 years old.  Also I’ve read he was grabbing a policeman’s gun.  What really happened?  But did he have a birthday everyone forgot had happened?  Did he run toward a policeman, not down the street hoping to escape from folks who challenged how he was walking in the neighborhood?

First reports had the devastated mother sharing pride for his graduation from high school, adding her son was thinking about going to college.

This morning I hear he was starting college on Monday.    

No matter how the facts evolve and ferment, bottom line, once again, a police person shot a black kid dead.

No matter the seemingly self-serving details being generated, when are we the people going to put a stop to this continuing occurrence of murder with authority?

  

As usual (think Trayvon Martin), there’s no whole story – yet!  Get ready America. 

Whatever his life plan, Michael Brown’s murder that day was, at best – a mistake, and at worst – a crime that must be acknowledged by the local leadership, quickly!  

The shooting is the event we must systematically address (think strategy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) to see that it never happens again.    

Are you up to it America?

I’m certain, here in 2014, more citizens have law degrees than they did 60 years ago.  Still, back then community leaders with or without credentials mobilized to plan and legislate change that provided equal rights to all.

In 2014 for sure there are more mega-churches with mega-dollars than there were 60 years ago when the churches assumed magnificent leadership roles in that civil rights movement for equality and justice.

Today our response finds us deeply sad and angry about the injustice.  We are disgusted with the riots.  Otherwise we sit and wait.  We haven’t accepted the truth that the task of implementing a solution to the problem belongs to all of us. 

Diverse America is in trouble and all we do is whine.

Have we become too affluent, or too politically savvy, even fearful for our own security to invest ourselves in putting a stop to this craziness?

What do you think?  Please let me know.