feature: the brutality truth – i am in danger, i will not stop fighting

“…And it doesn’t look that way to me in my eyes.” (Ian MacKaye) My head has been flooded with myriad thoughts since November 24. I’ve been focused, confused, sad, pissed off, sympathetic, peaceful, not surprised, surprised and numb after the announcement that Darren Wilson would not be indicted and would literally get away with the murder of Michael Brown. A number of questions simmered in my brain. Why hasn’t Obama made an appearance in Ferguson yet? Why are people in their right mind supporting this killer and excusing his actions as proper police work? Why isn’t anybody focusing on the fact that Brown was left in the street for four hours, much like what happened to 19-year-old Kendrec McDade two years ago? Does this mean I have no rights whatsoever as a black person? What year is this? Now, a little over a week later, comes a remix of all those feelings following the news that Daniel Pantaleo will not be indicted for the choking death of Eric Garner, another unarmed black man, in Staten Island, New York (images: Nick Fullen).

By Byron Kelsey Warren, AFROPUNK Contributor

Here we are in a supposed “post-racial” America. We’ve come a long way since the sixties thanks to Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Huey Newton, John Lennon and the many soldiers fighting on the front lines for civil rights. The seventies and the eighties, despite greed and glamour, became decades of acceptance, justice and a move toward racial equality. Then came the nineties, which seemed to bring us right back to decades ago, as we witnessed the horrible beating of Rodney King, with the whole world finally able to see the shocking reality of police brutality. When the four officers involved were acquitted, the “revolution was televised” in the form of the L.A. Riots.

On the opposite end, the O.J. trial was seen as a racial victory by some because it saw a black man finally beating the crooked American “justice” system. Reasonably so, white people were furious over the not-guilty verdict. But there were also millions of brothers like myself caught in the middle, understanding the victory/setback vibe because we believed O.J. was guilty as sin and were embarrassed by his actions. In the end, many of us concluded that wealth and class were key elements for victory. For both better and worse, those two cases have become a template for racial critique.

Fast forward to Patrick Dorismond, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant and more recently John Crawford and the disturbing death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. With the exception of Trayvon who was killed by “wanna-be cop” George Zimmerman, these unarmed innocent black men were shot dead by police. These names are just a small list compared to the thousands of black males shot by police because of color — not because of actual or at least serious criminal activity. Between 1968 and 2011, blacks were between two and eight times more likely to be killed by the police than whites.

“I don’t have white guilt. I do however have empathy for my brothers and sisters on this planet from all backgrounds for the daily struggles they endure just to stay alive and prosper. Whether Ferguson, Gaza, Mexico or every other place going through some heavy stuff, I do support the people” — Zachary Trudeau

A friend of mine, Adrienne Gandolfi Robinson, said that it felt like “national coming out day for racists” on November 25. I myself have read a great deal of disrespectful, racist, insensitive comments or straight-up misinformed lies since that day. It’s upsetting when one finds out a friend or family member embraces racial prejudices when you thought that person was accepting of all people, regardless of color. I’ve also noticed a pattern among those who generally follow or support the usual racist suspects (Guiliani, Hannity, Limbaugh, Ingraham, and so on) that they have this institutionalized racist philosophy. Of course popular media truth stretching will always be prevalent, whether it’s Fox News or CNN’s Don Lemon. Media aside, racial profiling is abundant and it’s not getting any better, especially if the police are constantly getting away with it.

For whatever reason, some turn a blind eye toward this or offer excuses instead of admitting or simply realizing there’s a serious problem. It’s similar to a person with an alcohol problem who doesn’t want to cop to it or can’t see it. You don’t need to be black of course to understand or be aware of this issue. All you need is knowledge. I’m astounded when I hear the “everybody’s profiled from the cops, white or black, so there’s no difference” excuse. I’m not a woman but I’m well aware that sexual harassment is way more prevalent for females.

You know how much of an ass I’d sound like saying, “Well, men get sexually harassed too so there’s no difference”? Why would I sound like an ass? Because it’s obvious that a hell of a lot more women have to deal with sexual harassment daily than men. It would be a false equivalence to say men and women both understand sexual harassment in the same way. Trying to argue that would be absurd and counterproductive. Stand up for your sister instead of denying her experience because you’re not in the same position. By the same token, putting yourself in the shoes of those who aren’t the same color as you, rather than making generalizations, is a good idea. When you have people spewing the philosophy of racial fear and not even considering hearing the other side, it kills any hope of fairness and justification for black life. I’d probably have a bit more respect for a person admitting to being a bit racist instead of one saying hateful or offensive inaccuracies then defending themselves as “not racist.” It’s gone way too far and has reached a point where it’s becoming more and more scary.

“Don’t become a surgeon if you’re afraid of blood.”
— Kathleen Reynolds

Just to be clear, this isn’t meant to be some rant about how all police are bad or wrong. That’s an unfair, inaccurate statement and disrespectful to the men and women in blue who truly do protect, serve and risk their lives every day. This is a discussion about corrupt, racist and privilege-abusing cops like Darren Wilson, as well as the people supporting their actions. Likewise this is meant to be a wake-up call to those who truly believe innocent, law-abiding black males are not profiled and that everyone is somehow treated equally on the streets and in the eyes of the law. Personally, if I were a police officer I’d be infuriated by Wilson’s actions and that they once again ignited the ‘us vs. them’ attitude that supposedly pits cops against the rest of us. To make a long make-believe story short, Wilson basically claims he couldn’t handle an unarmed guy his own size and had to shoot him because he was afraid. If that’s the case, you aren’t qualified to become a cop or have a badge — and especially a gun — in the first place. Ask yourself, would you want a fearful cop in charge protecting you or a fearless one? Cops put their lives on the line fighting real, dangerous criminals with guns, knives and explosives — killing, raping, committing serious life-threatening crimes — but Wilson can’t handle this guy? What would he do against someone with a gun who’s a real threat as opposed to his scary black boogie man?

Wilson perceived Brown as a threat because of his skin color and the black male stereotype. Fearful racists, sexists, homophobes or power-hungry police shouldn’t even be hired. You can’t possibly serve and protect the public with honor if your personal beliefs are tainted or biased. Wilson’s language describing Brown as demon-like was further confirmation of his racist motives. Am I justified prey simply because you’re afraid of the stereotype of me? If that’s the case, put your gun away and become a meter maid instead. The fearless cop who is mentally balanced and exercises sound judgment in tough situations is the ideal person for the job. There are plenty of them out there and to those who are, I salute you. Wilson, on the other hand, is not a decent cop, especially if he has a “clear conscious” after engaging in behavior that proved he was a coward. Not only was he poor at his job, but he pretty much admitted to being an unsympathetic asshole as well.

Two personal examples of the good cop vs. bad cop situation come to mind. In Miami, I was walking from a store one day when suddenly two patrol cars pulled up, lights flashing. One cop threw me down on the car hood and pulled his gun on me. I had never seen a real gun before and was afraid this was the last one I’d ever see. Your life actually does flash before your eyes when a cop tells you to shut the fuck up unless you want to get shot. After the smoke cleared, I finally gained enough courage to ask why I was being harassed. The cop explained they were looking for a black male who robbed an older lady. After asking them to describe the black man, one cop laughed while the other said he was wearing dark clothing. With my stomach on the patrol car wearing white khaki pants and light green t-shirt, it hit me. I was a regular suburban kid, attended college, never committed a crime in my life, yet I’m in this near-death situation over a racist cop pulling a gun on me because I’m a “nigger.” It’s frustrating to go through and quite frankly, insulting. This was a horrible cop abusing his title, a pure example of racial profiling, or prejudice cop on a mission. After having my license checked out, they realized I was the wrong black guy, got in their cars and drove off. This is just one of millions of times this has happened to people of color. And if you’re one of those people who thinks, “Well, don’t break the law and you’ll be fine,” you have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t realize a sad truth: all black males are targets for profiling, regardless of class or action. Your mind wakes up when it realizes that your body has made you a dead man walking.

Another time I was in NYC celebrating a friend’s birthday at the downtown lounge Lit. I wanted to stay longer and told my friends I’d meet them at the next bar. They departed and about a half hour later I also stumbled out of Lit. A block away I realized I needed to relieve myself but instead of doing the smart thing and going back to use the club restroom, I did the dumb drunk thing and pissed on the sidewalk. I thought I was “incognegro” but then came the police cars while I’m standing there, penis in hand. Zipping up my pants, the cop gives me this look like “seriously dude?” You really can’t explain much to get out of this type of situation so I just told the truth. The police pretty much shook their heads, laughed, ran my license and gave me a ticket. No violence or fear, no power trip or choke holds. I was guilty as hell and you know what, THESE guys did their job, correctly. No guns, no profiling, no excuse. I was confronted simply because I was doing something wrong and I deserved it, which is how it should be for everyone.

Unfortunately, two other real bad cop experiences happened to me in my lifetime but that’s for another essay. It’s sad because Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell and Ousmane Zongo were just as innocent as I was, with no previous records, but unfortunately they’re not around to tell their stories. They were gunned down by the law. Point being, there’s a serious imbalance of black deaths and it’s not just because of a brainwashing myth that more black people commit crimes.

“My dad was a prosecutor. I am an attorney. I worked in the DA’s office. I’ve never seen a prosecutor work so hard to exonerate a killer” — Chris Sacca

The “cop shoots black kid” pattern just seems to keep right on trudging ahead instead of things changing and the policing process improving. A point has to come when the public doesn’t hold two diametrically opposed views of every confrontation between the police and black people. Yes, we should all express opinions and no one says we have to agree with each other, but at some point we have to find common ground through common sense. I shouldn’t have to feel like an extra in “The Twilight Zone,” “The Truman Show” or “Idiocracy” for believing that a black kid’s life is worth more than being gunned down in the street, but at the moment I do.

Darren Wilson should be held accountable for his actions not praised for them – by anyone. He’ll probably become a millionaire for killing Brown thanks to exclusive interviews and crowdfunding campaigns supporting him. He’ll get rich while the family of a dead unarmed black kid goes right on suffering. Now I have to accept that there’s money to be made for cowardly killings of my people? What’s next, an award show? What if Michael Brown was your unarmed son, shot down in the street? How would you handle this, let alone wrap your head around people rewarding the cop who killed your child? Sounds pretty sick, right? Rewarding Wilson only strengthens the belief that it was perfectly fine to do what he did — and this is a very dangerous thing.

“If you’re desperately trying to justify violence against unarmed civilians in 2014, who do you think you would have been in 1964 or 1944?”
– Ezra Koenig

According to Wilson and his supporters, any black person should be shot if he or she is deemed a threat. A petty, non-violent crime or an act of violence that threatens lives — both are the same and both should be responded to with deadly force by the police. If Wilson was justified then, hell, you’re pretty much saying it’s open season on dark-skinned people. If you support Darren Wilson then you support my death, regardless of how nice, educated, well-dressed or well-spoken I am. My crime is my skin and Wilson will just be doing his job shooting me if he feels afraid?

Eric Garner was killed about a month before Michael Brown. Just like Wilson, Daniel Pantaleo will walk away without a state trial, regardless of the fact that Garner’s death was a homicide. I guess Pantaleo was also doing his job. If you haven’t seen the video by now, watch at your own risk and ask yourself afterward, how is this proper police conduct? How many more unjustified black deaths is it going to take to end this? Unlike Brown, surprisingly, even “law-and-order conservatives” are outraged over the Pantaleo grand jury decision and believe he should be indicted and take responsibility for his actions. You know it’s serious if George Bush, Bill O’Reilly and even Glenn Beck are disagreeing with the Garner verdict and admitting Pantaleo was wrong. Also unlike Brown, every detail of Garner’s death can be seen because it was captured on video, which removes all doubt about what happened and goes full circle right back to Rodney King.

For me, it’s pretty simple now. I am not going to “accept” either of these decisions and move on as if all is good. We have to realize this is tragic and try to do something to prevent it from happening again. Being silent or ignoring the situation will only add fuel to a crisis. If people had accepted this kind of thing in the sixties, I wouldn’t have the freedom to do what I can do today. We’re talking about basic human rights for everyone. We can’t go backward when it comes to race in this country and we are if people like Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo won’t even stand trial for what they did.

My human rights are vanishing and by supporting these men, you’re supporting the problem, not the solution. Maybe some people don’t want a solution because they figure they’re not in danger. But I am. I am in danger. And I will not stop fighting. I will not remain quiet.