I was in Seattle when Officers Stacey Koon (no joke, that's seriously his name), Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno, and Rolando Solano held a televised clinic in how to give a racist ass-whuppin on a distraught, disoriented, presumed to be innocent African-American (in this case, Rodney King) for 10 minutes or so. It was seemingly the final straw for the Black community and justice minded individuals the world over, who, now possessing the smoking gun of videotape, felt that finally police would be held accountable for their lawlessness and ruthless sadistic violence against people of color.
The nation waited with baited-breath as the incredulous verdict was read and all of the officers were acquitted and the ensuing riots resulted in 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damages to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. Gun advocate Charlton Heston was made famous again, as his rich friends secluded and cowering in fear in their mansions pleaded with Charlton for guns to protect themselves from lawlessness... something Black Americans had been living with for 500 hundred years.
Later, I was in New York when Amadou Diallo was shot at 41 times and killed about 20 times over by New York PD Officers Sean Carroll, Brendan Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss for the crime of attempting to remove his identification, while walking into his apartment building. Once again, the trial of the officers resulted in a jury unanimously voting to acquit the officers of all charges. Before the trial I rode the New York subway to the Soundview area of the Bronx to take pictures of Amadou's house. I was joined by a few Japanese tourist who were also there. we all spent a good bit of time peering into the glass doors of the vestibule. We all looked, and we looked, and looked some more, not sure what we were looking for, but in some way, trying to make sense of what it was about this place that resulted in not only an execution, but enough bullets being fired to eradicate a platoon of insurgents. I don't know what my Japanese brothers were feeling when they left, but I didn't feel like there were any answers to be found in the location. It seemed that whatever it was that made the officers react like a pack of vicious dogs with guns, they took with them when they left.
Once again, the public felt that the violence was excessive, an innocent life was lost, and that finally, justice would be meted out. Once again they were wrong.
Which brings us to Oscar Grant.
Oscar Grant was punched sadistically in his face, cuffed, thrown on his stomach, kneed in his neck and head and executed. The Black community knows that when it comes to Police on Black crime, there is no such thing as a smoking gun. Immediately after the shooting, the officer stated that he thought Oscar, "had a gun". This statement shows how easily, often, and immediate the reaction is to a cop that kills an innocent man that they thought they saw a gun. There is no way to dissect the lack of intelligence and senselessness of this crime. Nor is there any need to place this event in historical context because the simple fact is that Cops devalue Black life and they always have. And they feel that they have a right to play judge, jury and executioner when they feel justifiably scared or pissed off.
There should be no expectation that this officer will be convicted. The arrest, the headlines, the trial and the verdict will be a recreation of "Chicago", because once again, what appears to be a slam dunk, will more than likely result in an acquittal. This is strictly playing the odds. If history plays as it has, there is very little chance that after the smoke clears and the number of lives lost and ruined are tallied, there will be anything approaching justice.
Which brings us back to the matter of Bobby Hutton. The events surrounding the execution of Bobby Hutton, were equally as egregious as the events of the Grant execution. Bobby was walking out, as directed, with hands up, shirtless, when he was knocked forward by an officer and another officer shot him in his head at near point black range, in full-view of the Lilly livered police, who despite being sworn to protect and defend, did neither, and then to add insult to the oath, painted a giant yellow streak down their backs and locked arms in the world famous, "blue wall of silence" in defiance of law, their duty and God himself in all his glory.
The reaction of the Oakland Community, described as lawless by some, in my opinion, the least that should have been expected. Group action that results in violence, such as protests, expresses the underlying need of a desperate community that has exhausted their "legitimate" options for expression. Intrinsically the community knows that until society at large feels their pain there will be no investment in a solution.
If you could only give one word why the Bobby Hutton memorial is important, one would have to say, "Justice". Bobby may have been killed decades ago, but the disease still exists. A memorial to his life and by proxy, to those who have suffered his fate, is a necessary reminder and offering to the community that there will be a newfound commitment to regarding inner city life, as valuable, beautiful and deserving or being served and protected.
One love, Peace Out.
-BLACKPANTHERBLVD.COM
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