I’ve been pretty much silent about the events in Ferguson. Kinda strange for a wordy man
like me to be so silent, right? After all, I participated in National Novel
Writing Month and have so far written 17,000 words on a Sci-fi novel entitled
“Silicon Soul” about a fictional America in which computers become human.
Strange that I’d not write a single word about a real America in which humans
aren’t being treated as if they are fully human.
I’ve kept my silence with the assumption that it allows the voices of People of Color to
be heard more clearly.
In case you’ve not read any of these voices here are two:
That said, this blog is read by some folk for whom I’m the
closest thing to a voice of color they’re willing
to read (I know, right!).
So, two quick points as a repost to the things you all consistently say on social media, and then I’ll get back out of the way.
1. In order to believe
Darren Wilson’s version of events you’d almost have to assume Michael Brown is an alien—people don’t
act like that.
2. Quit with the being so
shocked by rioting already.
I was in Eugene, Oregon when the Ducks lost a big game—they
drove a meter maid car into a bonfire and set off a bomb outside the local
Starbucks.
For that matter, I was in Philadelphia when the Phillies won their big game; all the commentators were so overjoyed that there was “only” $100,000 worth of property damage…
people did that much damage to their city to honor a sports team’s win.
The folk in Ferguson are horrified and angry that a young man in their community was killed
and there was no trial. They are horrified and angry at an ongoing pattern of young black kids getting
killed by cops and vigilantes.
I want to be clear, I
think rioting is stupid and destructive, but if we’re going on the
assumption that what happened in Eugene and Philly after those sports games was
essentially good clean fun, and as a
society we do, then the only logical conclusion you can come to is
that the rioting in Ferguson is a totally legitimate response to collective horror and anger… unless of
course you want to say white rioting is acceptable and black rioting is not.
#BlackLivesMatter
2 comments:
Instead of talking about other riots and other places, let's just say Ferguson erupted because Al Sharpton and the Black Panthers, as well as local activists, did not agree with the Grand Jury findings of Wilson's innocence. Al Sharpton is a confident of Obama and has visited the White House 87 times. Sharpton has a checkered past of inciting mobs and he shares the views of his smooth talking radical comrade, Mr Obama. I am fed up with the whole bunch. America will be better off when Obama leaves office. He has done more to increase racial tension than anyone in office.
I brought up those other riots because what I’ve heard is people say things like, “It’s such a shame, those black people and their rioting, don’t they know they’re just hurting themselves.” It’s like they think rioting is exclusively an African American phenomena, which I know from personal experience isn’t the case.
As for the whole thing being caused by outside agitators with connections to the White House… I’m not there. If you watched the President on TV right after the verdict it was pretty clear he didn’t want to have to address this issue, this isn’t part of some master plan or something.
Also, I think there are plenty of politicians who have stoked racial tensions, and I don’t think the current politician in the White House is one of them. In fact, I’d go so far as to say he’s tried to steer clear of race because he’s going to great lengths to make sure it is clear he’s a President who is black, not a black president.
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