Police Have Problems, Criminals Have Problems, Citizens Have Problems 

With the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this past week near the end of August, 2020, many Americans are again convinced that police are too brutal against black people, and that there is systemic racism waged against people of color in the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America. All this, some 52 years since Martin Luther King, champion of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960 , was tragically killed by a real racist man, so stupid and evil most of us do not remember his name. I have little qualms with evil people dying. Death and killing happen way too much in the existence of humans for natural reasons: when stupid and selfish men and women choose to harm and endanger and kill others, I believe that when tried and convicted for such wanton lawlessness those people should or could meet a death sentence, because they have forfeited those rights to life.

Due process, incontrovertible evidence, and sound justice through magistrates and trials by peers is part of the proper process of justice for the penalty of death in the United States to be levied. A break down or fault in any part of that process leads to a lot of heartache and often times injustice, and that is what I believe we witness, cases after case; now I am compelled to know and memorize the names of many them, in Manhattan, in Baltimore, in Ferguson, in Minneapolis, now in Kenosha. 

We are told to SAY THEIR NAMES. I can. I can also argue why each of those men died, and how each guy was not very smart and at times precipitated or provoked their own deaths. Did they deserve to die? In most of their cases, of course not. Did they put themselves in ridiculous positions where they were to be killed by police who made serious mistakes? Yes. Freddy Gray, of all of them, was the one who did the least to put his own life in danger. But was he doing some really dumb things to put himself in that position, to die in the back of a paddy wagon? Yes.

We could all argue each case, and how each guy did things that risked their own lives, and how the police also could have reacted better and not killed those suspects. But first of all: were they all suspects? Yes. They all did something, either big or small, to bring the scrutiny of the law onto themselves. I am tired, too, my brothers! Tired of foolishness of people of all colors and creeds. Most of the awful results do not happen  in a vacuum. Police are paid to uphold the law... Will people continue to flaunt that? Again, no one is perfect, so do not resist and fight the armed officer. The officer of the law. The laws that we all pretend to believe in. They have jobs to perform. Don't you? Only most of your jobs do not put you in potential danger every shift that you go outside. Police deal with a ton of stress, and we expect them to not be afraid and make mistakes?

Now when we talk about the circumstance of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, she was mixed up with others who put her in a bad position of danger. I am tired, too! I do not care what color you are! Stop it. Stop making people put out warrants of arrest on you! Stop flaunting the law!

 

Again, let me repeat:  in none of the cases mentioned above did the suspect deserve to die. But, when breaking the laws of the land and expecting justice, as we legally recognize it, accidents happen to people suspected and those on duty to protect the public and themselves. Let us reduce these deadly encounters, please. PLEASE. Stop putting yourselves and our officers in danger of violence because of sexual assaults, dealing drugs, armed or forced robbery, illegal drug possession and consumption! George Floyd was on track to kill himself by overdose, without the knee of the out of his mind policeman Derek Chauvin. Both were incredibly wrong and stupid. Agreed. All the other cases were needless and egregious deaths, but we cannot expect our law enforcement to be above human fear and error either. When you flash a dangerous light in front of a light chaser, what happens? Stupidity is answered by stupidity often, and we should not expect more or less... Michael Brown strong arms a convenience store, marches on the street like an idiot, is asked to step off the street by a passing squad car, then the police recognize him as the suspect of the robbery, then Brown, a huge guy, rushes the policeman and his weapon at his side... It is human nature that death or injury would result. 

A couple of points about race, before I continue.

1. Just because I am a white man, I have a white wife and children, and my extended family is Caucasian, does not mean that the words and argumentation that I am voicing here signifies that I am racist and my arguments are to be discounted or are less valid because of my background, either because I do not fall in line with all the stances of some on the left politically, or that I do align with those views of some people that think that all the police issues have to do with racism against people of color. Yes, I do not know what it feels like to be a black man being stopped by police, but there are many Black Americans who believe and argue the same as me or more so than me, so please do not make racist accusations towards me or against me by labeling my race. Some claim I only know white privilege, I say I know things about humanity. I will always try to do the same for everyone as far as considering people's positions. I will not base arguments on your ethnic background, but we should grant every person their own individual conscience regardless of their external appearance. That is the definition of not being racist or harboring prejudice.

 

 Logic, love, and passion are things bigger than skin color. I firmly believe that I live by my internal standards of conduct and behavior beyond what some think are the external factors of skin color or ethnic background. I believe that all human beings are capable of the same, and I expect as much in our everyday actions and motivations, expectations that Martin Luther King would hope we would live and act upon.

2. In the last 24 hours a baseball player for the New York Mets, Dominic Smith, who is African-American, gave an emotional plea on television about how things need to change. He openly cried and I respect his feelings and fears. I do agree wholeheartedly with him. Things have to change. Where I disagree with his words or message is that A) People still don't care and B) People hate.

Wrong, again, Dominic. I do care. I live my life that way. I really think that the majority of the people of the United States do care about black lives, white lives, all lives, especially American lives. And, I do not hate people, least of all the police of all backgrounds, men and women, or people based on their culture or outer race, i.e. skin color, simply based on their origin or choice of legal work . I do not start to dislike and then resent individuals and some of their groups until they take actions that merit my disapproval and my disdain, like selling deadly illicit drugs, violating and raping innocent victims, robbing and stealing from others, cheating and bilking others who are unaware of those who are ignorant and unaware.

And finally, Dominic Smith, thanks to the greatness and wealth and opportunity of our nation, that you accuse of not caring for or hating people of your color, I am pretty sure you are making more money than I will ever earn. No complaints, this is a great thing. Based on your talents you deserve millions of dollars. Way to go, keep it up.

But enough about your privilege and my privilege, Mr. Smith, let's expand the discussion of systemic racism in our society by discussing socio-economics in the United States. Black Americans in general do tend to be less financially sound than the average white person. People blame a lot of factors for these unfair disparities and most of them make a lot of sense. I happen to think that the disintegration of marriage and the nuclear family has hit the African-American communities of our nation worse than any single thing in the last sixty years, beyond mismanaged housing for the poor, welfare programs, community activation initiatives, imprisonment and recidivism rates, and dozens of other attempts small and large to enable generations of poverty in the Black community to overcome the ills of being behind, legacies sadly inherited since the days of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and other awful and terrible practices of segregation and racist policies, to include lower standards of lending and financial help, coupled with lesser opportunities in public, private, and higher education due to poorer tax bases and inheritance monies, generations and generations of less opportunities. But above all, the lack of parenting and tighter families have hurt Black families the most, in my opinion, for many decades up till now. Many others agree with me. 

Is this problem the fault of systemic racism, of white supremacy? You tell me. Who has been most responsible for the break down of the traditional family and parents collaborating to raise their own children? The war on drugs and high incarceration rates of Black men? The targeting of law enforcement cracking down on those non-violent offenses of so many African-Americans? The tax laws that create poorer educational environments for Black people? Predatory banks and financial organizations that keep African-Americans from owning homes and being in perpetual debt? Hollywood and music artists (of all races) that celebrate and grotesquely glorify violence, sex, and drugs? Churches and pastors that teach outdated practices and lifestyles that are now counter-productive to modern success? Bosses and corporations and human resources staff that purposely avoid working with and employing Blacks? We could point to many of these reasons, but at the end of the day: we need to change, we need to improve, we need to care, we need to not hate (but to love), and we need to know that of course, Black Lives Matter. Police need help on the streets and in their fighting crime and protecting us. All of us.

We all need to vote and work and tirelessly strive for social justice, to prove that we are good citizens, that we are ridding ourselves of criminality, and we will be better police and law enforcement.

Problems? Yes? Answers? They are out there! Questions? Let the dialogs continue.

We need to defeat racism and the real roots of what causes all the tears and heart aches of our communities, our cities and counties, our states and our nation.

We have the solutions to our problems, these cannot last. The problems of our communities of all races can be solved and resolved.

We all share the dream of Martin Luther King and countless others.

Black lives matter. Every single one. We will discuss these problems, tackle them, and continue to progress.