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@mrsjazz: I remember in high school, 2 girls were complimenting a sweat shirt i had on and said, "Yeah, we can't go into that store. Clerks just tail us around the store until we leave. You're lucky you don't have that problem." I'll never forget that conversation because i couldn't comprehend ever being in that situation. Last night, DH and i were talking about "walking while black" (not that we know what it's like, but imagining what it must be like) and how the first time it happens you comply and think it was an honest stop, but the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. time it happens, you can't help but get pissed off when you weren't doing anything wrong.
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@hummusgirl: thanks for posting that! That careful list of rules breaks my heart.
Similarly, I know Mr T (an Indian man with a beard) is always very careful about what he says and how he acts at airports, and is always subjected to heightened security checks. When we travel together we get treated extremely differently. I can imagine that many black boys and men are raised to be this careful EVERYWHERE which is sad.
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@mrsjazz: as always, you eloquently stated your thoughts!
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@hummusgirl: thanks for sharing that article. My dad always told me in addition to rule #4 always get a receipt is to always get a bag. Walking out of a store with something in your hands looks like you stole it even if I was going to open it, use it, consume it rightaway.
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I would definitely consider myself on the more liberal/progressive side of this issue, and this thread has still been eye-opening for me. Thank you to all of those who have shared your experiences with us.
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@coopsmama: You're welcome. And I write as someone who knows that there are issues to be handled within the Black community and that Mike Brown's particular case is not as clear cut (to me) as say the John Crawford or Sean Bell or Amadou Diallo. I think it's important for everyone to talk about these issues, but sometimes each side doesn't look at all the factors of the other side. I read an article on CNN from a Black woman whose husband is a police officer and how she struggles with both sides that I thought was eye-opening. People have to be willing to be open to the fact that their thinking may be clouded by certain biases and perceptions and be open to looking at things another way.
@Freckles: Yup. The shopping thing has happened to me before. I usually just leave the store because I refuse to spend money at a place that thinks I'm going to steal because I'm Black. I've been lucky that I haven't had to experience as much racism as some of my friends and family.
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Thanks!
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@Mrs. Tiger: I can't imagine how frustrating that would be. We always seem to have to do a pat down over some baby item we have (baby food, epi pens.) traveling with kids and having to deal with discrimination would be exhausting.
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@NeekieRose: I went back to look at the ABA 1911 date you posted because the NBA was established in 1925. What I found out was interesting and thought I'd share the links with you. The first black ABA member was ousted after he showed up to a convention and everyone saw that he was black http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Lewis The ABA did not drop it's ban on black members until 1943, which was 78 years after the Civil War. http://www.americanbar.org/about_the_aba/timeline.html ETA: the first black ABA member was admitted in 1950; 85 years after the Civil War.
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someone sent this to me today and i thought of a few of you in this thread that had some great questions about race in relation to law enforcement. the site it's from might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a great read and goes into a lot of the history between black americans and treatment by law enforcement and how this is easily overlooked by many white americans.
http://aattp.org/tim-wise-pens-brilliant-editorial-on-ferguson-most-white-americans-are-completely-oblivious/ -
@lawbee11: That's really awful.
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@lawbee11: I'm so angry right now. My entire office has basically shut down because we're all in shock. Now planning for a rally tomorrow. I try not to be shocked about things like this anymore but this one, especially after watching that video, this one was hard to stomach. It doesn't matter that it was caught on tape, this police officer just got away with murder.
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@lawbee11: !!!!! I am sickened
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@lawbee11: Wow, now that I really can't believe.
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@lawbee11: I guess chest cams won't make much of a difference when even video can't convince people of a crime
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@FliegepilzHut: @mrsjazz: @MrsLilybugg: @pui: @MrsSCB: It's just plain sad. And unbelievable. And depressing.
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@lawbee11: In that case, what about the paramedics involved? Will they be held liable? Didn't they allegedly not provide care while this man was dying?
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@lawbee11: I have no words.
That is infuriating!!
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@pui: I'm not sure. I read a few different articles and there wasn't anything mentioned about the paramedics in them.
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@mrs. bird: great article, thanks for sharing! Unfortunately, the ones who need to read it the most won't (by and large), but great article nonetheless.
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@lawbee11: wow. So what does it take to indict, never mind convict, a cop caught on camera choking a man to death?
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@lawbee11: I am completely speechless. I give up.
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@mrsjazz: I am taking myself home right now too because wow, my mind is beyond blown. What possible excuse will we be given this time?
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@Mama Bird: "to indict, never mind convict" <--that's what really gets me about these grand jury decisions. It's not even about guilt or innocence yet -- we can't even get to the point of having the opportunity to decide whether someone is guilty (aka a trial)! That just baffles me, even more so in this case with the video and everything. If that video couldn't even convince people a trial is necessary, I don't really know what to say.
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@MrsSCB: I just didn't understand how given the existence of video it went to the grand jury in the first place. So confused by this one.
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@MrsSCB: I don't get it either. The bar for an indictment is so low and even the medical examiner ruled it a homicide!
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@plantains: I feel like in cases where police officers are the perpetrators, the prosecutors just want to hand it off to a grand jury because they don't want to damage their relationship with officers they have to work with every day. That's total BS, obviously. IMO, in cases against police officers a special prosecutor should be hired or something. Passing it off to a grand jury because you don't want to deal is just...ugh.
ETA: @lawbee11: Exactly, that also drives me crazy! All the people saying, "Well, I guess they just didn't believe 'beyond a reasonable doubt.'" Umm, they don't have to, the burden of proof is not that high...
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@lawbee11: I think the medical and legal definitions of homocide are different though? Regardless, someone needs to explain to me when police officers are justified in using deadly force...because I really, really don't undertand anymore.
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@Madison43: I think it is, too. I just read online that some people were saying he died because he was obese and had asthma, which was not the official cause of death.
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@lawbee11: yeah - I saw that too. It's frustrating because I don't think a lot of people don't undertand that the law does not care (or it's not supposed to care) if pre-existing conditions made a person more susceptible to die under these circumstances.
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So sad and scary.
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Ok, catching up on this thread and the indictment decision. Wasn't choke holds ruled unlawful in NY? I'm so confused how cops that broke department policy are not facing any criminal charges.
I really hope the US can keep it together. This non-indictment is shocking.
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This man has posted a very though-provoking series of tweets as to why videos of police violence and body cams are not enough: https://twitter.com/ashoncrawley
"Cameras on officers can't record white supremacist logic... cameras will only be used to justify force bc, like the police producing violence, folks that 'view' these images on grand juries, prosecutors, etc. cognize blackness similarly."
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So sad about the decisions made lately not to indict. Then a cop being caught doing a chokehold is not acceptable. Then resulting in death?!? This is not right! The cop should be punished.
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this clip just brought tears to my eyes
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/04/368422790/the-sentiment-in-new-york-captured-in-a-25-second-audio-clip -
@mrs. bird: Wow. Wow. I'm not really sure what else to say, that brought tears to my eyes as well. I wish I knew what to do. I honestly feel sort of frozen after this decision, wanting to figure out how to fix things and not knowing how. The hopelessness in his voice is heartbreaking. And people wonder why folks are so angry now. Listen to that. That is why. Thank you for sharing.
ETA: I've also found the tweets with this hashtag to be very eye-opening http://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii/crimingwhilewhite-people-confess-to-crimes-theyve-gotten-awa
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@mrs. bird: That is absolutely heartbreaking. And correct. What is our future from here? How do we fix this?!?
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@mrs. bird: Wow. That's heartbreaking. I can't even imagine. Thanks for sharing.
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@mrs. bird: Thank you for the article. I read it in its entirety. Its a lot to absorb and turn around in your head but definitely a worthwhile read and one that illuminates so much while also bearing down on the crux of an issue that wont solve itself overnight sadly.
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