Coronavirus Diaries Day 82 - Can't Help but to Think We've Been Here Before and Other Thoughts

America has had itself one hell of a week / month / year / decade... Maybe it's the (failed) writer in me, but I agonized over how to properly articulate this post. I wanted to bring my own personal experiences with racism, but they felt like simple inconveniences compared to what is going on now. I also wanted to point out the hypocrisy of the NFL, but they already called themselves out, albeit years too late (but could have mentioned Colin Kaepernick by name). I also wanted to use clever literary devices to point out the disingenuous representation of the Black Lives Matter movement by those who lean right, but couldn't decide between a hypothetical or disjunctive syllogism. But in the end, I'll just go with recent history.

The cynic in me can't help but to think we've been down this road before.

Police brutality didn't start with Rodney King, but the global awareness did thanks to the advent of video.

This was 1991... We all know how that ended (acquittals for all four officers involved), however there was a light that was shined forever on this subject.

One quote I will never forget from an Los Angeles local during an interview. The reporter (white) asked him (a Black person) if he was surprised that something like this could happen. The man said, "The police do this kind of thing all the time, I'm just surprised someone caught it on tape."

While Mr. King Lived, many did not. I just wanted to bring to light some of the highly publicised victims of racism, lest we forget. Sadly for every publicised case, there are probably hundreds that go unreported. It brings to life that eternal Memorial Day quote: "All gave some, some gave all."

TRAYVON MARTIN (Walking home with iced tea and Skittles. Shot by George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty)

KEITH SCOTT (Sitting in car, reading. Shot by police officer, who was not charged)

ATATIANA JEFFERSON (Looking out her window, shot by police officer, who is still under indictment for murder)

JONATHAN FERRELL (Asking for help after auto accident. Shot twelve times by police, case ended in mistrial)

JORDAN EDWARDS (Riding in a car. Shot in the back of the head by police officer, who was found guilty of murder)

STEPHON CLARK (Holding a cell phone. Shot 8 times, 6 in the back. Officers not charged)

AMADOU DIALLO (While taking out wallet, officers fired 41 shots by four officers, who were all acquitted)

RENISHA MCBRIDE (Auto accident, knocked on door for help. Homeowner was found guilty of second-degree murder)

TAMIR RICE (Playing with toy gun, shot by police officer arriving on scene. Officer was not charged)

SEAN BELL (Hosting a bachelor party, 50 rounds fired by police officers, who were found not guilty of charges)

WALTER SCOTT (Pulled over for brake light, shot in the back by police officer, who pleaded guilty to civil rights violations)

PHILANDO CASTILE (Pulled over in car, told officer he had a legally registered weapon in car. Officer acquitted of all charges)

AIYANA JONES (Sleeping, accidentally shot by officer in a raid on wrong apartment. Officer cleared of all charges)

TERRENCE CRUTCHER (Disabled vehicle, shot by police officer, who was found not guilty of manslaughter)

ALTON STERLING (Selling CDs, shot at close range while being arrested. No charges filed)

FREDDIE GRAY (Beaten to death by officers while being transported in police van. All officers involved were acquitted)

JOHN CRAWFORD (Shopping at WalMart, holding a BB gun on sale, police officer was not charged)

MICHAEL BROWN (Shot by twelve times by officer, including in the back. No charges filed)

JORDAN DAVIS (Killed because he was playing loud music. Shooter found guilty of first-degree murder)

SANDRA BLAND (Pulled over for traffic ticket, tasered and arrested. Suspicious “suicide” while in jail. No charges)

BOTHAM JEAN (Shot at home, which police officer mistook for her own. Officer found guilty of murder)

OSCAR GRANT (Handcuffed and face-down, officer shot him in the back. Officer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter)

COREY JONES (Waiting by his disabled vehicle, was shot three times by police officer, who was found guilty of murder)

AHMAUD AUBREY (Jogging, shot by two men who claimed they suspected him of burglaries. Both men charged with murder and aggravated assault)

BREONNA TAYLOR (Shot 8 times in her own home by cops on a “no knock” warrant at the wrong address)

GEORGE FLOYD (Handcuffed and face-down, officer kneeled on his neck until he died)

As much as I want to be hopeful, bolstered by the response to this latest modern day lynching seeming different and more substantial, I'm going to wait and see what the criminal justice system will do to the former police officers involved. The very people it usually bends over backwards to protect...

On a personal note, I have gone from general pessimism to cautious optimism. I'm happy that at least the majority of people have finally woken up to the fact that the fight for justice and equality has never ended, and will probably never end (just look at the pay gaps!). We have to keep fighting or else the gap will continue to increase... Not just the racial gap, but the gender gap as well!

It reminds me of the last line in The Usual Suspects. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." A lot of people were convinced racism was finally defeated and we were living in a post-racial society with the election of Barack Obama, but it became a rallying cry for the enemy to redouble its efforts underground while we celebrated. Those of you who were surprised by Trump's victory in 2016 weren't paying attention...

My last not-so-random thought is for all of the protestors on the front lines. You have my eternal thanks for putting your bodies on the line just like our parents and grandparents in the civil rights movement. It's scary to see that not much has changed with respect to the resistance to change by the power structure other than the quality of video (fire hoses, beatings, dogs, tear gas, etc.). But I have hope. We just have to keep the momentum going if any lasting change will occur. But it starts with taking down the system.

A popular belief among progressive white people is that the system is broken, but it’s absolutely not. It was built this way; it was built to prioritize the safety and security of white people over everyone else. The way the system works is by oppressing Black people and other people of colour. As Ta-Nehisi Coates said, “The machine is running as intended.” The very foundations of the American economy are based on the enslavement of Black people. Throughout American history, there are so many examples of state-sponsored marginalization and oppression of people of colour. These examples continue today – just look at the overrepresentation of Black men in prisons. This is the system – this is how it is meant to run. We don’t need to “fix” the system, because it’s operating exactly the way it should be. What we need is to completely overthrow it and start again from scratch.

Until the next time people, stay safe, wise up, rise up!