THE UNARMED BLACK MAN

It’s a nerve racking thing when you have an opinion about a case like Michael Brown that is completely against the majority feelings of your own race. But then again I’ve never been the one to give in to social and or peer pressure. I say what I want unapologetically. So with that being said, here’s how I feel about this case.
                First I took my time checking out Officer Darren Wilson, who was an exemplary police officer who had no prior incidents of any kind, especially race related. He was actually honored not too long ago for his efforts in police work.
                As for Michael Brown, video evidence supports that he was involved in a robbery about 15-20 minutes before the shooting occurred. He stole cigarillos, which most people know to be a tool used to roll and a smoke marijuana. I’m still waiting to see if he was actually high at the time of the shooting, because it would support the officers claims to his wild and aggressive behavior.
                Now then, when Officer Wilson rolled up the street he found Brown and his friend walking in the middle of the street. Not a crime, but pretty damn stupid. You don’t walk in the middle of the street. It was at this command that things got crazy. The two were fighting each other, Wilson in his car and Brown outside of it.
                My first major criticism is the one where we keep seeing these images of Michael Brown next to Trayvon Martin. Brown is 18 years old, six foot three inches, and 289 pounds. He is not a kid in a hoodie. He’s a grown ass man walking in the middle of the street after just robbing a convenience store.  The comparison is sad and misguiding.
                Secondly, Darren Wilson is not George Zimmerman, he’s not a man with known history of race related incidents, and he’s not neighborhood watch. He’s a cop. A law enforcer.  I don’t believe he turned down that street with the thought “why don’t I just shoot these guys for no reason at all, that’s something to do”. Doubt that.
                Now some witnesses say he was walking towards him with his hands up, others say he was running away, this evidence to me is admissible. There’s too many versions of what happened by citizens who I would suspect would lie just to see a white officer be thrown in jail. I can’t trust that testimony as a judge.  However, the autopsy did show that brown was not shot in the back. So those saying he was running away when shot can be dismissed. Which only leaves the possibility that he was coming towards the officer.
                Now then, some say he was coming with his hands up. The officer says he was charging. In the heat of the battle the two could probably look the same. Adrenaline pumping, the officer had just been hit in the head multiple times, it’s possible he read the situation wrong. And if so, yes he should be punished. But this outcry of the unarmed black man being shot is one I’m tired of hearing, but for two reasons.
                I’m tired of black men being shot, and I’m tired of black people pretending every single one is innocent. It’s just not true.  There is a perfectly good way to handle these situations and in most of these cases the man did not handle it correctly. Whether being aggressive or back talking, it is usually some stupid reaction that leads to the senseless violence. I’m black, I’m a man, I’ve been pulled over and or stopped. I have yet to be shot, because I know damn better. Hands on my head, yes sir this, yes sir that, then call my lawyer.
                And if black people are so tired of being harassed by the police….BECOME THE POLICE. As a culture, we’ve pinned ourselves in quite a corner. We shout out “fuck the police”, or say things like, “I don’t trust the police”, then why not become the police. Become the change you want to see in law enforcement. If we had a larger representation in the law enforcement it could only make things better. At most, perhaps more people of color being in those shoes, might be an awakening to what it is really like to be a cop in the line of danger every day.

                My final point is that of warning about the power of social media and the confusion it can cause….social media is a dangerous tool far too often mishandled and misleading. I just hope and pray more people do real research and formulate their own opinions versus following a tweet and coming to a conclusion. I’m afraid to live in a world where are ability to read doesn’t go past how many characters are allowed in a tweet.

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. First and Foremost I am not taking sides. I am writing from the opinions I have about the situation. I also agree with what you've written.

    I want to start off by saying guns were made to kill. Nothing more nothing less. Other weapons were built to subdue, slow down, trap and maim. Law enforcement is trained to draw their weapons when they think their lives are in danger. They are trained to aim for vital spots such as the head and heart.

    Firstly I'd like to discuss Officer Darren Wilson...
    I do not condone the actions taken by Wilson. I believe there were other ways this could've been handled. I've read and heard there was an "alleged" struggle for his gun. Whether or not Brown had it or he did, there was a moment he regained control of this weapon. At that time he could've used other tactics to take down Brown that did not involve the firing of his gun. He should and could have created some distance between himself and Brown. At that time he may have rethought the situation. However we know he did not. He must've thought his life was truly in danger in order for him to shoot and kill Brown. In the heat of the moment, fight or flight may have been on his mind. It's either him or me. We, the ones looking in do not really know what he was thinking. Again, I do not condone these actions taken.

    As for M. Brown...
    He was 18yrs old 6'3" 289lbs much bigger than Treyvon Martin, who people are comparing him to as you already stated. He wasn't a teen being stalked by a racist neighborhood watchmen.
    He committed a crime. A petty crime but a crime none-the-less. He then decided to walk in the middle of the street instead of a sidewalk warranting police to approach.
    However it seems as though this little side note is ignored by majority of the Black community. I do not know what caused him to be shot, I don't know if he "allegedly" attacked the officer. All I know is he robbed a store for something stupid. Not like Treyvon, who bought something from a store.

    So here's where the trouble to me begins with this whole thing:
    You have a town/county/city that is predominately black with law enforcement that is predominantly white. I could imagine there is already tension between the two because of these differences. White officers that may or may not have an agenda and black males that may or may not feel indifferent and frustrated because of that.
    Sooner or later the two are bound to meet head on. Again, this is just my opinion.

    What bothers me the most is the fact that the black community is quick to act when a black male is shot by a white male. There's riots and chaos. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton want to get involved and spout about equality. Yet, there is nothing done when a black male kills another black male. Where are the riots? Where is the chaos? Where is Jessa and Al? So quick to point the finger and cry out "Racist" or "Racism" but silence is all that is heard when it's black on black. Why? It's frustrating as hell...

    Then there is this quote that is running rampant on social media feeds right now. "A system cannot fail those it was never built to protect". For some reason this quote has been attached to W.E.B. DuBois. A quote that has never been quoted by this man.
    However I will use this quote to make my on point. If in fact the system cannot fail those it was never built to protect, we need to find a system that will protect us. Marching isn't the answer. We march for a few days during the trials and when it's all said and done it's all forgotten. Rioting just make us out to be exactly what the media sees us as... Ignorant.
    We need to educate ourselves and make those changes. Become the law that has plagued us. Become lawyers, judges, officers, mayors, congressmen, etc.

    Until this happens, incidents like this will keep happening like they've been happening...

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  3. I here you....very good points made indeed....and I still fill so uncertain about everything that took place....which is why I feel he should have been indicted so that we can have a full out trial....but I'm just sooo tired of race...I wish I could wake up and we were all grey smh.....

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    Replies
    1. I too wish race/color wasn't an issue. Too many ppl get caught on that. One day this world will be so blended there won't be a need for it. Then again, that is a wish and not the reality we both live in.
      I think there were too many angles to this story that were glossed over.
      Sad that the only person that knows what really happened was set free of charges.

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