They Have Eyes But Cannot See

This started out as a Facebook post but then it grew and I didn't want my social media friends to get upset because I've been posting all week. So I decided to copy and paste it in a blog post instead. Hopefully, this will be my last post of the week regarding this matter but I'm not making any promises.

This has been an exasperating week to say the least but with the culture of hunting black men, I'm thankful to still be among the living. During this week, I think I saw where someone said whites are killed by cops to but their cases are swept under the rugs. I remember the names of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Sean Beall, Tamir Rice, Freddy Gray, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Pedro Villuneava and sadly it won't be long before another black/Hispanic male becomes a hashtag because of an overzealous police officer that wants to be judge, jury and executioner. As it was stated, these incidents are not new; police brutality has been taking place before Rodney King but now it's captured on video and cops are making sure that they don't leave the primary witness alive.

Just like many of you, I became frustrated, angry and saddened by the events. Just prior to the executions, there was outrage saying the FBI dropped the ball regarding the Clinton investigation. There were outcries that the justice system was not fair but they were just preaching to the choir; we already know there's two sets of justice in this country. Soon as the onslaught began, there was utter silence from the ones calling for reform of the justice system. Keep in mind, there were the same ones that felt that the zoo made a mistake when killing a gorilla but they couldn't care less when news broke of a black man getting shot while selling CD's, another black man getting shot after being pulled over for a broken tail light and a Hispanic teen getting killed after being chased by an undercover cop. I know there are people that don't respond to these matters for various reasons but they freely comment on everything else. Then it hit me. Some people can't care because of their fear. It's just evident that some things don't matter to others because they simply don't get it. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

For that reason, I mourned for the families of the victims killed by cops and I mourned for the police officers that were killed in Dallas because all of their deaths were senseless and unnecessary. But what are we going to do. I remember reading a post written by David (didn't tag him because some people don't like to get tagged) and he said that we are so concerned about what's happening on the national level but we refuse to get involved on the local level and he's right. We fight one another, we tear each other apart, we refuse to support local entrepreneurs for various reasons....they don't like me....they think they're all that....I don't like them....they not getting my money....etc. but the truth of the matter, the people at the bank don't like you (didn't BancorpSouth settle a discrimination suit because they don't want your black azz to have a house but people will shun you for living in an apartment but refuse to realize that redlining still exits), the Taliban at the gas station don't like or respect you or our women but we're running up there to buy up their chicken but will pass by a local hustler and won't buy a chicken wing. I know because I'm guilty myself. We must do better!

Do black lives really matter to you? Look at Lumberton, we have the biggest black coons (Cora and Tommy Dukes) serving as our representatives and when a person that's willing to stand up and call a thing a thing, people stay home because they don't like him. (Yeah I'm bringing up the election again). I'm sorry...well, no I'm not...but if anyone, Cora or Kent Crider discarded my vote by claiming I was a felon, ain't no way I would have allowed that to ride. That's just me. We talk about the police and how they are using black bodies for target practice, but how are they appointed? They're appointed by your local governing officials. People get outraged by the total ineptitude of the city clerk but it's never long lived. The board spend thousands of dollars to train that monkey with the sagging coconuts and she can't use BBI, give any details of the budget, plan a budget or reconcile the ledgers. There's no doubt in my mind that she has closed the restricted funds account and because Hugh Jay McGraw, Johnny Buckley, Tommy Dukes and Cora Rogers don't have the balls to do anything, she's still at city hall sucking up air and getting paid to tell us every month how many water accounts were delinquent while gossiping with a steady stream of visitors that's always behind the counter, in arms reach of your social security numbers, payment information, etc. This week, there were several marches across the country, asking for justice but until we have record numbers of voters marching to the voter polls, consistently, ineffective governance will continue and problematic police officers will continue to kill without consequences. A march on Washington is good for a video snippet and probably for likes on social media but will it being about change in your neighborhood? Keep in mind that Federal laws and State laws differ. Presidential elections are important but the elections that effect you most are the elections most of us don't bother to show up for; state and local elections. It's time for a change and it must begin now. We must show up and vote consistently in order for our voices to be heard, we must support businesses that support our communities and we must hold those in office accountable or make sure they never serve again. Are you going to be the change you want to see or just hashtag the next life that matters?