The question is: What does justice demand? A man's life was taken and someone needs to be held accountable. It's that simple. Ht @_michaelbrooks
2/ This gets down to a basic tenet of our supposed justice system: Accountability, i.e., the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.
j.mp/2B79FRy
j.mp/2B79FRy
3/ But when police brutalize or kill black people, there's very little accountability, if any. The state, in effect, is saying no one's responsible.
A person is dead--not of natural causes--and no one's responsible.
A person is dead--not of natural causes--and no one's responsible.
4/ And what's worse, the state says that, notwithstanding the fact that POLICE ARE AGENTS OF THE STATE. They are empowered to use lethal force at their discretion.
With little accountability.
With little accountability.
5/ That's why folks are in the streets. Because we're not getting justice.
Justice.
The system isn't working how we're told it's supposed to.
I guarantee you' there'd be no uprising if those officers were not only fired, but charged, tried and convicted.
Justice.
The system isn't working how we're told it's supposed to.
I guarantee you' there'd be no uprising if those officers were not only fired, but charged, tried and convicted.
6/ The murders of #GeorgeFloyd and #BreonnaTaylor (among too many others) once again makes black folks question whether or not the police and criminal justice system can be trusted at all.
7/ It's a 2-tiered justice system, which means it's not a fair one.
8/ Never miss an opportunity to quote #YasiinBey:
"The system break man, child, and women into figures/
2 columns for "Who is" and "Who ain't niggas"
Yeah, it's all "Mathematics"
"The system break man, child, and women into figures/
2 columns for "Who is" and "Who ain't niggas"
Yeah, it's all "Mathematics"
9/ We all know it's true. @iJesseWilliams eloquently pointed this out in 2016 at the @BETAwards
j.mp/3cc9pOe
j.mp/3cc9pOe
10/ Honestly, I'm sick and tired of hearing about how stressful cops jobs are. So what?
After Jeronimo Yanez of acquitted of killing #PhilandoCastile, I wrote this:
j.mp/2rLggGS
Here's how I look at it:
After Jeronimo Yanez of acquitted of killing #PhilandoCastile, I wrote this:
j.mp/2rLggGS
Here's how I look at it:
11/ Yes, there are legit criminals out there who mean to do physical harm to cops and civilians. But Floyd, Taylor or Castile weren't among them.
You need to be able to figure out who you're dealing with, especially IF THE STATE HAS EMPOWERED YOU DO USE LETHAL FORCE!
You need to be able to figure out who you're dealing with, especially IF THE STATE HAS EMPOWERED YOU DO USE LETHAL FORCE!
12/ If you're a cop, the bar's super high for you from a behavior standpoint, as well as an accountability standpoint.
You don't like being that accountable for your actions?
Then don't be a cop.
You don't like being that accountable for your actions?
Then don't be a cop.
13/ Just a couple of weeks ago, cops are kindly handing out masks to white people who wanted to gather in the parks.
But they're manhandling and tacking black folks for not observing social distancing.
But they're manhandling and tacking black folks for not observing social distancing.
14/ Tonight, one American city is burning. There could be more to follow.
15/ Broadly speaking, Americans are mad ahistorical (trust me, that's a scholarly term), so we don't reference the long, hot summer of 1967
j.mp/3d8UFAR
j.mp/3d8UFAR
16/ "Race riots" broke out in nearly 160 cities across the country.
Can y'all imagine what that would look like? In the middle of a pandemic?
But folks are so fed up, they're willing to doubly risk their lives.
In the name of justice.
Can y'all imagine what that would look like? In the middle of a pandemic?
But folks are so fed up, they're willing to doubly risk their lives.
In the name of justice.
17/ But if the system worked like it's purported to, those officers in MN would be held to account and would, after a trial, go to jail. And there'd be no one out in the streets.
18/ This is what happens when people feel they have no recourse.
Remember Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Burnin' and Lootin'"?
Very appropriate now.
j.mp/2TOEAst
Remember Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Burnin' and Lootin'"?
Very appropriate now.
j.mp/2TOEAst
19/ If justice can't be applied equally across the board, then that proves the system is broken, which is why @BreeNewsome is on-point here:
20/ Or, the powers that be would say, "Eff your police union, one of your members killed a civilian. The officer used excessive force. We can't call it an 'accident'. We're holding the officer accountable. Deal with it."
21/ Police departments and their officers should be accountable to all the citizens and taxpayers who pay their salaries. It's that simple.
22/ But most of what we see are police officers protected by unions and prosecutors who can't seem to find enough credible evidence to bring charges. Even when there's video.
Mughs get administrative leave.
Mughs get administrative leave.
23/ MN is an expression of the deep rage and disappointment of a system that's refused to fully work for all people.
And America continues to disappoint the people who've believed in her the most: Black folks.
And America continues to disappoint the people who've believed in her the most: Black folks.
24/ America learned nothing from the 1967 uprisings. Apparently, she hasn't learned anything from Ferguson or Baltimore, either.
25/ So we're all going to experience this collective trauma again--the videotaped murder of an unarmed black man, a justice system that shirks its duty and a community that sees an uprising as the only expression that those in power will recognize.
26/ Again, what does justice demand? If there was true courage and a commitment on the part of "the authorities", the answer that came back would meet that demand.
But, alas...
But, alas...
27/ Be safe, everyone.
/end
/end
One more thing: I first heard the question, "What does justice demand?" posed by @marclamonthill and it's stayed with me. Gotta give credit where it's due.
#CiteYourSources #HollaAtAScholar
#CiteYourSources #HollaAtAScholar
Lastly, check out this via @sandylocks
