IDK About You, But #BlackLivesMatter to Me!

I have to go ahead and admit that I am completely fed up. Absolutely sick and tired. Every single day as I scroll through my Facebook feed, I am overwhelmed by the inundation of videos capturing racism and police brutality. Over the last few years, I have simply lost count of all the victims that lost their lives or were unjustly abused. I’m totally livid about it. AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO.

The murder of Freddie Gray which sparked the Baltimore riots earlier in the year hit home for me, although each and every case never ceases to disgust me. Everything from the undeniably innocent Eric Garner being choked to death in NYC to the teenage girl getting manhandled in the Texas pool party incident. However, the recent death of Sandra Bland particularly bothered me. I’m sure this case needs no introduction so I will not even get into the facts. I truly do not believe she committed suicide, but I know the chances of more evidence being released to prove this is highly unlikely. Regardless of the sad outcome, there is NO doubt that she should not have been arrested in the first place. Even if it was a suicide, which is highly unlikely, it could have been avoided. No one should get verbally abused, physically assaulted, and arrested for a simple traffic violation. Did she have an attitude? Sure. I would have too, and many do when dealing with asshole cops or getting pulled over for nonsense. But guess what? Having an attitude is NOT against the law or any cause for arrest!

What I’m most mad over is how so many people can deny what is blatant and justify unacceptable behavior by police or the prevalence of racism in our society. I am left with so many questions. Where is the outrage?! How come everyone glossed over the slaying of nine innocent people at the historic AME church in Charleston?! How come there was no media coverage for the many other churches burned down afterwards, and the disgusting display of hatred and prejudice by people defending the Confederate flag?! Why have so many reports of people dying in their jail cells emerged since Sandra Bland’s death?! How come police are still using excessive force for minor infractions and how many more were NOT captured on camera?! How come American citizens aren’t angry over basic human rights being violated?! Why are we dealing with this in 2015?!

One video I saw today truly amazed me. An Australian guy witnessed police murder someone, then heard them proudly admit it, and he was absolutely stunned. He questioned why they couldn’t use mace or a taser instead of shooting them dead. Another good question! Even if someone is a criminal, they don’t deserve to die or be beaten mercilessly. They have constitutional rights to a fair trial like anyone else, which won’t happen when they’re dead! It’s so astounding that people don’t even seem to value human life anymore. We’re so desensitized that when another mass murder or police killing happens, we don’t even care. It’s apparent to me that we’re taking huge step backwards in the U.S. Other countries are watching and they’re horrified with how we treat our own citizens. No other advanced nation has such a high percentage of its citizens incarcerated, or has video proof of corrupt and racist police yet do nothing.

I guess the reason so many people don’t care is because they feel it doesn’t affect them, which is wrong. Your privilege will NOT save you every time. In one video I saw the other day, a white woman was severely beaten up by police for talking on her cell phone while driving. Though it’s usually racially motivated, it’s getting to the point where anyone can be a victim. Should we all fear for our lives when we get pulled over or interact with the police? God forbid you say the wrong thing. You could end up as the next hashtag.

Oh and please understand one thing. I have the highest respect for law enforcement.  I know that a majority of them are good people who truly do risk their lives to serve their communities. However, there’s just way too many that are power hungry and sadistic, and we’re not doing enough about it. These people are required to take an oath to serve and protect every single one of us, not to beat us, murder us, and violate our rights. It’s just now starting to be more visible due to cell phone cameras and social media, but this has been going on for far too long. Killing someone should always be the last resort. That is just undebatable. It’s just really gone too far and become too common and almost expected. Who do you call on the police when THEY break the law? Who is going to police the police??? Pretty scary when you think about it.

It makes my blood boil that people care more about the fucking Kardashians than countless innocent lives being lost right here in our backyards. The media certainly doesn’t help with distracting people from what’s important. Yes, I was sad over Cecil the lion too, but it blew my mind how people seemed more upset about that than they’ve ever been over black people dying. Even worse is how I see people leaving ignorant comments or saying "they need to get over it" which only illustrates how divided we are. I have to reason with myself that some just don’t get it and never will. It’s painful to witness a time like this and to feel so helpless. I guess most people who don’t have to deal with racial profiling or worrying if their family member will die in the street will just never understand.

What's worse than racism being denied is that it's still not even fully understood by so many. We’ve advanced in so many areas, yet just don’t seem to want to acknowledge the facts. I guess the truth hurts.

Here is what people seem to miss when it comes to racism. It’s NOT just about the millions of people murdered and mistreated over the centuries, although that should be enough. But what’s just as bad is the exploitation of an entire race that still benefits the very people who deny this to this day. The white man would not be what he is today without the genocide of Natives and the enslavement of Africans, who were not only physically building this country into what it became, but whose labor (i.e. cotton and tobacco plantations) became the backbone of the American economy. This allowed generations of whites to prosper and generate wealth to bequeath to their heirs, including those who have white privilege today. They would not be who they are or have what they have without the pain, suffering, murder, and robbery that their ancestors took part in and directly profited from. All while the African American community has only been given basic rights in recent history, and yet STILL is not even treated according to those rights. Their communities were designed to fail, while the blood of their ancestors has lifted up the communities of their oppressors. 

Now African Americans face unbelievably grave figures when it comes to the likelihood of them being racially profiled, arrested, and sentenced to longer jail time compared to any other race in the U.S. I actually took a class on this in undergrad that absolutely changed my life and open my eyes to some very alarming info. Believe me I could go on and on when it comes to this subject, but I'll attempt to keep it brief. Basically, 1 in every 3 black males will go to prison in their lifetime, mostly for petty crimes that whites get a slap on the wrist for (if that). Yet statistics show they're not the leading race in committing crimes, they're just the ones who are more frequently caught and prosecuted. This is a direct result of police being trained to target and stereotype. So the ending of the age of slavery did NOT mean freedom, it simply created the beginning of the age of incarceration. Black people in this country went from slaves to prisoners. I consider this a new form of slavery. It pains my heart, but it’s reality.

While I know many people who feel so passionately about this issue and want to make a difference, sometimes I wonder if the damage is done and if it’s too late. How do we fix systemic racism at this point? There are a lot of things wrong with the world today and American society in particular. Greed, corporate and political corruption, environmental irresponsibility, the poisoning of our citizens via GMOs and food/pharmaceutical companies, inequality, and of course racism. However, I think the attitude that each of us has no power in this is what got us here. We should all stay informed at the very least. It’s more critical now than ever to take an active approach on spreading awareness, protesting when needed, and using our rights to vote and be heard. For those that turn a blind eye and focus all their energy on other trivial things like the Meek vs Drake beef, instead of important things that actually matter, you’re just as bad as the oppressor. History is bound to repeat itself if we ignore it, and that’s exactly what I see happening now. A little blog post like this may not be much, but hey if me ranting and sharing my opinion has expanded even just one person’s view, then my mission is accomplished. Now is the time to keep these discussions and dialogues going, even if just so the lives lost will not be in vain. Let’s make their lives matter.  

XOXO ❤️