Hiding Behind Dead Cops

The president of the NYPD union has opportunistically used the murder of two good NYPD officers to further his political agenda with the Mayor of New York City (NYC). Patrick Lynch has blamed the Mayor of NYC for the deaths of officers Liu and Ramos. 

Not only is Lynch hiding behind two dead cops in making his comments, he is also creating a racially charged climate in NYC by insinuating that the Black community want to kill cops. We in the Black community want justice and bad cops off the job. The Mayor of NY has Black children.

Some people have raised the issue that there is a connection between the protests against the racist conditions faced by dark skin people and the shooting of police officers.  Beside NYC another police officer was murdered in Tarpon Springs Florida. The shooting in NYC was done allegedly by a man who allegedly  also shot a woman in an act of domestic violence and he killed himself. In Tarpon Springs the alleged murderer was trying avoid a return to prison. There is no direct connection between the protests and the murders; there is an indirect connection through the media.

The irrationality of Patrick Lynch’s rants are seen when he said nothing when two White people indirectly connected to the Neo Nazis ambushed and killed two police officers in Las Vegas earlier in the year. He also said nothing when the “survivalist” Frein ambushed two police officers in Pennsylvania, killing one officer.  Although the union has reportedly agreed to refrain from these rants, the harm is done.

A modern definition of White supremacy and White privilege is Black people having to apologize for our race when one person commits a crime, while the bosses such as Patrick Lynch never apologizes for the acts of the White neo Nazis nor for a White survivalist who kill cops.  Patrick Lynch never even said he was sorry for the victim of domestic violence as she was also like the police officers a victim of a mentally ill man.

I recently read a story where some Black cops of New York City have said that they feel threaten by other cops when they change into civilian clothes and are off duty.  A fear that is magnified by unarmed Black people who when confront by the police understand the cop can shoot and kill us with impunity. Cops can kill us based on their “belief” their lives are in danger. This logic is nonsensical as the definition of a first res ponder is that they put his life in danger. The standard for the police using deadly force must be a higher bar.

Many times I have agonized over this issue as I have relatives who are cops and I love them dearly and wish only that they remain safe. I hope that other police departments do not create a more racially charged environment by repeating the shameful, slanderous, and racist comments made by Patrick Lynch.

In many ways Patrick Lynch comments are an indicator of how effective the protests have become. He has taken notice of them as has the Mayor of New York.  I can only think that City bosses have also taken notice.

New Civil Rights Movement

                                          Young Faces From Worcester In NYC 12-13-14
                                            Photo courtesy fo Robert lBlackwel Gibbs

The New Civil Rights Movement

The demonstrations against the killing of unarmed Black men are a good thing. This fight against racism will eventually benefit everyone as it will cause a review of police procedures and policies. The criminal justice system is rigged in such a way that no police officer who kills anyone is ever indicted. This should change to a different standard of any police officers who wrongfully kills someone should be fired. The standard is a long struggle before it could be effectuated. And it might never be accomplished without a complete dismantling and overhaul of our justice system.

On November 13, 2014 there were three demonstrations for racial justice seen on Worcester, Boston, NYC, and Washington. At least twenty five people went to the NYC demonstration from Worcester. The trip to NYC was organized by Communities United Collective (CUC). A group formed shortly after a Support Ferguson Mo rally in July of 2014 in the Worcester commons. The CUC consists of mostly relatively young people of all races who are too young to have participated in the civil rights movement of 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.  All of the people in CUC are enthusiastic and this showed when they and students boldly blocked the streets of Worcester and made their voices heard at the Worcester City Council meeting.

A weakness of the CUC seems to be that they are never certain from meeting to meeting what is needed to be done.    

The description of the rally in New York by some of the people who went shows this enthusiasm.

Jules

“The Millions March was a peacefully organized Rally. It was a very successful. We shut the streets down and raise awareness. It won’t end until Justice is brought to those who ripped families apart and took the lives of the innocent. If I had to do it again, I’d do it a thousand times over.”

Jonathan

“The bosses have to have heard and that is why they are discrediting the marchers in any way that they can. This was no rowdy bunch of hoodlums. This was an extremely well organized political action. I expect reforms to come in the long term. This is just the beginning of a growing movement. The police can't do this anymore. The people aren't going to let them

 Ed

“Yeah sure! I thought it went really great and it was amazing how many people came out in solidarity. I think are point of why we're fighting got across but we still have a ways to go and we need to take that people power past protesting.”

Robert

“Uplifting while sorrowful! It was moving to see so many like minds there for the main cause. The police were calm but we knew what they really wanted. When we all took Brooklyn Bridge and shut down both sides to traffic it was a show of real power.”

The rally in Washington D.C. might indicate a difference in tactics between the old guard civil rights activists and the young activists. A group of younger demonstrators from St. Louis wanted to go up on the stage when the TV cameras were and speak. The people running the rally said that the people from St. Louis needed VIP passes to get on stage.

This new civil rights movement apparently has reached a critical stage. What is next? More blocked streets, more teach ins, or something else is next? Will there be a division between the young and the older civil rights activists?  Hopefully this new movement will have the lasting power of the effectiveness of the old.

Don’t Cry For Darren Wilson

Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown and the grand jury of St. Louis County Missouri presented to District Attorney McCullough a No True Bill, no indictment. Mr. Wilson showed no remorse or regret in his TV interview. The finding of the grand jury did not come as a surprise as almost no police officer has been indicted for any action, no matter how bad, while he was on duty.

What came as a surprise is that Darren Wilson resigned from the Ferguson Police Department a few days after the No True Bill.  His resignation is somewhat puzzling.  When the police officers in Worcester killed Cristino Hernandez in 1993 they did not resigned nor were they fired, despite the Inquest Judge ruling that the Worcester Police used “excessive force”.

Today Ferguson is seventy percent Black and the Ferguson Police Department is ninety four percent White.  In 1993 Worcester was seventy percent White and the Worcester Police Department was at least seventy percent White, if not a higher percentage.  In Worcester the opposition to the police homicide of Cristino Hernandez was divided with many people saying that the Worcester police killing him was not racist.  That division does not exist in Ferguson today among the protesters; there is some division regarding the destruction of property.

   It is a common occurrence that when people make serious mistakes they are fired or forced to resign. We have seen this in Massachusetts at the Department of Children and in the Department of Public Safety; even the supervisors are forced out.  When the police make a mistake and accidentally (unjustifiably) kill children, the least that should happen is that the officer resigns.

   Darren Wilson has resigned. Some people may feel sorry for him because he says he cannot continue his work in law enforcement. However it is likely he could find a job anywhere in law enforcement in which the population is not majority minority.  

   It is unlikely he will be charges with violation of Michael Brown’s civil rights. There is going to be civil trial for wrongful death brought by Michael Brown’s parents. In order to be successful the parents will have to name the City of Ferguson as a defendant. This means that the City will cover Mr. Wilson’s court costs.

  Mr. Wilson will have an opportunity to write his book about how unjust the system treated him. The right wing might ask him to go on speaking tours about the need for law and order. Mr. Wilson will do alright for himself. He is no victim. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Michael Brown.