It’s a Black Issue. It’s not a Black Issue

Last updated on: July 29, 2015 at 5:58 pm by Nancy Qualls-Shehata

It’s a Black Issue. It’s not a Black Issue 2015-07-29T17:58:00-04:00 Nancy Qualls-Shehata

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The murder of Sam DuBose is horrifying and I am very happy that the now-fired officer is being indicted. Another Black family has to mourn the untimely death of their family member. We have to continue the ‪#‎blacklivesmatter‬ movement and work to bring fairness to the criminal justice system. This includes but is not limited to making sure police officers are recruited and trained in a proper manner, bodycams are made mandatory, racial profiling is eliminated, police offenders are brought to justice, and the prison industrial complex is dismantled. This is several lifetimes of work! We have to take it one bit at a time. People will find areas where they can help. Some will march, some will work with the police, some will work on legislators, some will work in the communities. It is a continuation of the Civil Rights Movement and all people of all colors, faiths, and backgrounds have to participate. Some can do more, some are not able to do as much. Prayers are a great place to start, and then you can reach out to your local community to see what is needed.

This is a Black issue but this is not a Black issue. By that I mean that our Black brothers and sisters are being disproportionately killed, but those of us who are not Black cannot shrug our shoulders and think that it does not affect us. These men, women, and children are our fellow Americans, our fellow human beings. They are us. So even if you are the whitest white guy who has ever lived, and you live in the whitest white community in the US, this is your issue as well. Get involved.

http://blacklivesmatter.com/

Now, there are those of you out there who will state the obvious. “Well, ALL lives matter!” That is true. The life of a police officer matters and his or her death in the line of duty is tragic. The life of a baby left in a hot car matters. The life of a little old lady in Dubuque matters. The life of an overworked suburban housewife matters. All lives DO matter, but we cannot dilute the message of #blacklivesmatter by making the false assumption that by focusing on our Black brothers and sisters, we are disregarding or disrespecting the police, the kids, the little old ladies, or other people in the United States. Black people are disproportionately likely to be targeted by police. The body of Sandra Bland has barely had time for the dirt of her grave to settle around her and we are talking now already about Sam DuBose. It is statistically likely that before this month is out, certainly before the end of summer, will will be wringing our hands over yet another killing of an unarmed citizen of this country.

I emphasize the word citizen. These people are CITIZENS. As such, they are supposed to have certain inalienable rights, rights which were actually legally denied to them when this country was founded, rights which they fought and bled and died to have apply to them. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They have the right to live lives unmolested by police. And they also have the right to make some screw-ups without getting the death penalty for it. The supposed infractions these people were accused of are ludicrous. Imagine if YOU were killed by police for something like jaywalking, or giving your best buddy one of your pain pills after he hurt his back and couldn’t afford to go to the doctor. Have any of you driven home from a party slightly tipsy? Death to you! Did you let your car insurance lapse? Death to you! Renew your car registration late? Death to you! Use the “f” word in the presence of a cop giving you a speeding ticket? Death to you!

A lot of people try to justify the actions of the police by pointing out the victims’ flaws or mistakes. “Well, he should not have reached for his wallet” (after he was told by the officer to show his license). “Well, she should not have been arrogant” (uppity Black syndrome). “He should not have been playing with a toy gun outside” (while a white guy open carries an AR-15 at Wal-mart). Putting the blame on the victim absolves the police and allows us to self-righteously condemn “them” and totally misses the point. Whether the person murdered was a highly educated holder of an advanced degree, or a down-on-his luck street-corner hustler selling untaxed cigarettes, we have this thing called a legal process. The police officers became judge, jury, and executioner for people either minding their own damned business or engaging in minor infractions. And that’s not how it is supposed to work.

I have great respect for the police. Back in Kansas City I went on a ridealong with officers in the Kansas City Metro Police Department, and for one night I got a glimpse into the complex ugliness that is their life. Around midnight they came across a group of teens standing in the median of an intersection, and ultimately confiscated insulin needles from one girl who had gotten them from her father’s stash after he died and who used them with her “Goth” friends to draw and and share blood among themselves. Then they responded to a crash where a pickup was wrapped around a bus shelter, the driver heavily intoxicated but unharmed in the pickup bed, where he had crawled in an effort to hide the fact that he had been driving. Calls for domestic violence, prostitution, drug use and sales, robbery, rape, and murder are part and parcel of their lives. It’s HARD. It’s ugly, it’s dehumanizing, it’s depressing, and it’s easy to slip into an us versus them mentality. I’m sure they are tempted to bang heads together on a daily basis. BUT THEY CAN’T. They cannot give in to the sometimes justified (ever been spat on by an HIV-positive maniac?) desire to give a little tuneup to a perpetrator. They must maintain their professionalism in the face of abuse, or they can go work at Olive Garden. When they crack, when they abuse, when they cross the line, they must be held accountable. A bad cop makes the lives of all the good ones that much harder.

What else is there to say? I could write until my fingers cramp and still only skim the surface of this problem. You know. You read. It’s everywhere online. You have to have been hiding under a rock to not be aware of this issue. So do more than just know. Do. Do something. Do something because we all share the same DNA. We are all part of the same human family.

Do something.

Previous Post

June 24, 2015

A Primer on All Those Funny-Sounding Arabic Words

Next Post

July 30, 2015 Dear Newly-graduated Police Officer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Criminal Justic Current Events Islam prom Satire Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 May 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 August 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many apostles did Jesus have?

Select your answer to see how you score.

14 11 4 12