donate

Thursday, March 12, 2009

call it what it is...please






quite a few bloggers have posted this video. i have seen and heard it discussed in the news. i have heard it described a lot of ways. yet, i still have a question...

...why do folks have such a hard time calling it what it is?

police brutality

how have we become so content to only use those words as it relates to our sons, brothers, and other male folk?

our collective refusal to have the courage to tell the truth and shame the devil, allows others to pretend not to know that passes are not being written for bw/bg simply because we are female.

i will call it.

may i suggest that other bw/bg start to do the same?

the police are man-handling, raping, and murdering us. we are being incarcerated in alarming numbers. right now. yet, on our watch, we collectively refuse to call it what it is. instead, when we lift our voices, it is to speak to the plight of bm in this so called system of justice.

maybe we should focus more on creating that much needed balance, in the interest of...

...self love~self acceptance~self respect

10 comments:

Felicity said...

One of the biggest problems is that people don't realise what is happening to their lives, until it is too late and they get caught up in the system. There is no parental guidance and my mother would always say, if you don't discipline your children, someone discipline would, but they would be brutal, there was no need for the police to behave like that to her. Black people have to realise that you must not get yourself involved, so that you get in front of the justice system. because once in there, there is no way out. They would lie and she would be in there for long period and by the time, she comes out, she is alreay damaged.

Anonymous said...

And notice, no outcry from the black collective at large. I think I'll post the video on my blog as well.

focusedpurpose said...

hi and welcome back Felicity-

yes! if one does not discipline their child(ren), someone else will.

make no mistake, i see clearly that through her actions, this child put herself in harm's way. no doubt. hopefully those punches and man-handling have taught her what her parents, God willing, have tried to teach/tell her.

lifting my voice for bw in no way is an effort to excuse inexcusable behavior. making excuses is what is so damaging to the so-called black community as it relates to bm as far as i can see.

as i teach my son, when one has been forewarned, they have been forearmed. we all should know by now that the so-called justice system is NOT blind. it sees color and routinely punishes those of color more harshly. i don't think anyone would look at the sad state of affairs and intelligently attempt to argue this fact.

my point in this post...

...bw are to our detriment refusing to call what we should be able to plainly see as it is, by name. we don't need to invent new names. there is no time nor need to re-invent the wheel. instead, when we lift our voices against police brutality and other injustices, we overwhelmingly do it on behalf of bm. we, collectively, do this so often, that bw will actually assert that bw DON'T experience police brutality. while we SEE example after example of contrary truth. that is my point.

Hi LorMarie-

welcome back. of course there is no public outcry! this would mean that bm collectively would have to acknowledge that they don't corner the market on racism, racial profiling, police brutality, etc. if the bm collective actually acknowledged we are ALL (bw and bm) in black skin and dealing with the special circumstances born of this fact, then how else would they claim victory in the oppression olympics? gosh, one might actually lay that ridiculous notion to rest and turn our focus to...the rampant misogyny among blacks and sexism. the OTHER ism that plagues bw. one that takes bm out of the role the victim and into the role of the perpetrator. but then that would not be comfortable. plus folks would need to take responsibility for their actions. as well as be held accountable...and you know the resistance to that.

it is so much more comfortable and easy, it seems, to practice blame shifting. this is such a popular practice that i have even heard negroes sing songs about it..."ooohhh it ain't my fault"...i kid you not. lol!

it seems that most folks, all colors, place a premium on maintaining their personal comfort. so what, if it is at the expense of others. as Khadija has wisely pointed out before, people, for the most part are NOT principled. they truly have no problem with injustice. they just don't want to be on the receiving end of it. hence, the noise they make when they bother at all.

that post nagged me, because if i don't lift my voice against police brutality against our bw/bg, it is obvious, no one will make a peep. in my silence, i become a part of the problem. there should be public outcry. considering that there are more bw than bm, i am wondering what it will take for bw to get the courage to stand and fight for OURSELVES. God knows, we have no problem fighting for others. but then, that's a whole other Oprah...or post.

blessings,
focusedpurpose

RainaHavock said...

Hello. Just thought I would stop by. ***Waves*** This is unrelated but I did look it up and found out it was never proven about MLK though it was speculation. Also found alot more interesting info on MR. Hoover of the FBI and how he threaten King to stop working in the Civil Rights Movement or he would release info to the public. Very fascinating. As for the video a damn shame.

Anonymous said...

Innocent until proven guilty. I don't know what the charges are; has she admitted guilt. At any rate this is a clear case of police brutality and excessive force The police are not supposed to act as judge jury and executioner. This is police brutality and it is evil.

Stealthkitty

focusedpurpose said...

hi Ms Havoc-

you are too cute. don't you feel better knowing that the information you secured for yourself has not been spoon-fed to you? i know i do when i seek knowledge on my own. i am eternally grateful to my mother for instilling this practice in me. i pay it forward to my son and other young folks whose paths cross with mine.

it is sad that Dr. King lived PRIOR to the cell phones, video one's every move, internet period that we find ourselves in today. what would constitute "proof" for you? a sex tape? lol! remember, this was a different generation. have you not looked to see what his close advisors have had to say. has no one ever told you about birds of a feather flocking together? i have not yet met a man/woman who walks a righteous path, and surrounds themselves with infidels. or sexually moral men/women that hang tight and close with whores; unless they are ministering. have you?

i urge you to look closer at ALL of the men that are held up to bw as great icons of bmanhood. again, you will find an alarming theme. now, if there were sex tapes of Dr. King, humiliating himself and his wife Coretta, there would STILL be folks swearing it wasn't him. r sylvester the molestor kelly, anyone? anyone?

all i can say is this, Dr. King and others were just MEN. this notion that they are sacred cows is silly. for those holding onto these notions, i am ok with them being offended by me. i have advised all that hold onto such silly notions to puhleeze! put your sacred cows away. i reserve the right to tell the truth and shame the devil; your sacred cow may get dented or scuffed in the process. i.am.not.sorry.

true education empowers. as you dig for information, may i suggest you look into Paul Robison? his story is amazing. the story of his wife is much moreso. once he'd arrived and couldn't help falling in love...with a ww... while married to her, a bw, she did not take it lying down. this fierce woman WROTE A BOOK about her experiences. lol! SHE IS MY PEOPLE! incidentally Mr. Robison managed to get right together. lol! (BlkSeagoat, i love that phrase as you can see:-)

little sis, if you are waiting for others, whose agenda it DOES NOT help for you to know the truth; you will never know the liberating truth. you will never be free.

at the end of the day, life is about choices. you can choose to live free...or not. you can choose to know and tell the truth...or not. God will not take your choice away from you. i will not even try.

thanks for visiting. you are welcome any time.

blessings in abundance,
focusedpurpose

focusedpurpose said...

welcome back Stealthkitty!

innocent until proven guilty. yes. somehow that resonates with me the same way that stories of santa claus and the easter bunny does...total fiction.

nowhere can i find evidence that such is REALLY the case. in utopia maybe, this life...not so much.

we agree, this is police brutality. now if only more would get comfortable calling it what it is.

blessings sis,
focusedpurpose

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

Dang

Amenta said...

I wonder why anyone would not want to call this police brutality? It is an obvious excessive use of force by these men in uniform (I will not refer to them as officers or deputies) representing the government. These are government agents abusing a citizen, who's behavior didn't warrent their overwhelming violence.

There was a time that I believed, like most of the Black collective that the Black male had to be protected from government abuses and brutality. Yet, I have learned that there are elements in society that are exploiting this fact, even to the detriment of Black women and Black girls. It seems to me now, that the primary focus of violence against the Black collective is the Black female from inside and outside. The attacks on the Black male represent the overt actions used in the covert war to demean the Black female.

BeautifullyMade said...

This video reflects what is going on in our society. Our teens are being attacked both physically and mentally but, I am not quite sure which one is more painful. Although I believe the mental abuse last longer. We created a positive teen video challenge to tell our yourng girls they were beautifully made at www dot beautifullymade dot info it will inspire you!