To Protect? and Serve

It's no secret I am the mother of the cutest, most rambunctious little boy in the whole wide world. Think your son/brother/cousin/godson is cuter? Go write your own blog, in this sphere he trumps all. Anyway as I was saying the only drawback, in america and especially in new york is that he's black. Recently yet another black man was shot. The only twist here (and probably the only reason why the NYPD will change their tactics, although they promised to do so in 2004) is that unbeknownst to the white cop who pulled out his service piece, his target was a fellow cop.

I hate to say it but I'm glad the guy was a cop because it highlights a severe problem. A black male carrying a gun is automatically deemed a suspect and shot dead. No questions asked. This was proven a few years back when off duty cop Eric Hernandez was a shot while breaking up a fight in white castle and unfortunately proved to be the case with Police officer Omar Edwards.

In his op-ed, daily news writer Micheal Daly pointed to the fact that Edwards's fellow team mates from the NYPD football team kept vigil at the hospital upon learning of the tragic event on thursday as proof the NYPD is not racist. He contends the problem is not the entire force, rather a problem with few individuals. I Within the same article he questioned whether the white cop would have so hastily shot an armed white man. That sentence alone implies his acknowledgement of the questionable and yes widespread racist tactics of the NYPD serving in minority communities.

I don't believe the cops are setting out with the goal of shooting black males, they have ascribed to the sterotypical black male in baggy clothes = thug ideology which is translated to danger shoot to kill.
In my opinion, the driving force behind all these fatal "incidents" is ignorance and fear. These cops are afraid of black men.

Timothy Stansbury was killed while roof surfing. He didn't have a gun, he did not tussle with the police officer who took his life. His only crime was trespassing and in the process startling the officer. Timothy burst through the stair case doors, scaring the cop who "upon reflex pulled his weapon and fired". This cop was not indicted nor was he placed on modified duty. Both mayor Bloomberg and Comissioner Kelly, though stating the shooting was unjustified stood up for the police officer in this case as they did in others.
Supporters of Officer Richard S. Neri Jr. stated he was alone on his foot patrol in the most dangerous section of brooklyn at an hour where most crimes take place and was startled by the presence of Mr. Stansbury thet he instinctively pulled his weapon to defend himself. In other words, the cop was scared.

Now I'm the first to admit it takes a special kind of person to become a cop, to run towards disruption rather than away. I readily adimit I am not that type of person and as a result I have not attempted to take the necessary steps to be come a cop. The problem is, neither are most of these cops. Now mix a nervous cop with the same environment that triggers his anxiety and you have created an environment conducive to mutiny and only one side is armed.









Danny Glover was enraged that although he is an acclaimed film star that he could not catch a cab in NYC. Fuck a cab, I'm certain all black men would enjoy the luxury of living.

Changes - TuPac