(OP-ED) CIVIL UNREST BREWING IN AMERICA FORCING CITIZENS TO TAKE A SIDE

Civil unrest is brewing in the United States over the latest series of murders of unarmed African-American men at the hands of local law enforcement.  We are at another crossroad in our nation's history and the premise of 'justice for all' is in question once again. 

The recent set of tragic murders of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Rumain Brisbon, Akai Gurley, and countless other unarmed Black Men this year alone at the hands of white cops has caused the masses to stir. 

Who's right and who's wrong is being debated heavily in the media as well as local barbershops, bars, Twitter, and social gatherings.  On one side you see an outcry for fair treatment when police officers use excessive force and illegal tactics to arrest minorities in low income areas. On the other side you have the voices who say that police officers have a tough job and in no way should be accused of wrong doing when on patrol apprehending a suspect.  The dialogue between the two groups supporting their opinions are so far apart that you would need Evel Knievel's steamed-powered rocket Sky Cycle to jump this canyon. 

Understanding the argument is of key paramount when taking a stance on this issue of those law enforcement officers around the country who exhibit violent abusive behavior when encountering African-American men.  I say those because there are many police officers who in no way should be batched in with those cops who demonstrate little to no respect for citizens in urban areas. 

To understand both sides of this very complex yet simple debate I believe you have to step outside your ethnicity as well as those accused or presumed of wrong doing and examine the facts of all these cases individually.  Whether your of African, European, Asian, Latino, or Native American descent there is the expectation albeit an illusion of fairness as well as justice. 

The complexities exist because in America you have many different races of people who co-exist in most major cities without ever interacting with each other beyond their financial, social, or ethnic circles.  Combine that with the irresponsible way local and national media constantly show African and Latino Americans being arrested for heinous crimes as their headlines.  I say that about the media because people of all races commit crimes and prison statistics prove that.  However, if you open a newspaper, watch television, or subscribe to an on-line news publication you will see an overwhelming disparity in the number of stories that polarize African and Latino American crimes as opposed to other ethnic groups.  This type of journalism aids in distorting the average person's perception of an entire race of people solely based on what they see. 

What they don't see are the honest hard working citizens like themselves who are descendants of a proud ancestry who helped build, shape, and defend this nation.  What they don't hear about is a nation who's history has been marred by centuries of documented tortures, deaths, lynchings, hangings, rapes, and false imprisonment of African-Americans based on the color of their skin.

 

What they don't experience is the police brutality and the loss of life so many African and Latino American families have suffered on a daily basis at the hands of those who are supposed to 'protect and serve' their communities. 


In essence, this divide in views on this debate exists due to a whole laundry list of factors that would take forever to list.  The most important contributing factors are the lack of educating a nation on it's past no matter how ugly, fair representation in the judicial system, and the erosion of morality by those who wield power. Without corrections to these things we will never see eye to eye on issues of race in America. 

To ignore the circumstances that lead many young Blacks into these criminal situations is just plain ignorance.  If you terrorize a people for centuries by murdering, incarcerating, raping, impoverishing, enslaving, and miseducating them you should expect what you see in the inner cities, which is survival.  In these neighborhoods most social programs that may have helped in the past have been cut to the bone or eliminated altogether.  These have become places where it's easier for a kid to get guns and drugs as opposed to books and jobs.

When weighing the factors on this matter you also have to include ignorance on most police officer's parts due to not being familiar or understanding the nuances that accompanies an urban lifestyle.  It's not a fault of theirs, but of their superiors who put them in very difficult and extreme situations without ever being exposed to the stated conditions. 

However, human decency and respect should be at the core of any interaction with people no matter their race, gender. or financial standing.  

In essence, what this boils down to is a call to educate yourself on the facts of these cases before you cast dispersions on a group of people whether it be African-Americans or law enforcement officials.  Know that as a nation we've always overcome tough situations by sticking together intelligently bound by morals and sometimes honor.  However, know that if we don't learn to respect each others cultures and learn from the past we will see a war at our doorsteps that evolved from within.  That's not a threat but a lesson learned from our history (The American Revolution, The Civil War, etc.).

We as a nation must answer these stinging calls for fairness and justice to be considered civilized!!!!


Kenny Black
Chief Editor 
ET6Nation.com