America's Insanity...Police Brutality and Black People... Something has to Change!
By now, the whole World knows about the nightmares that revolve around the seemingly countless killings of Young Black American males in the hands of police officers. Undoubtedly, any unjustified killing is wrong. However, not all the killings are 100% unjustified, but the manner in which they happen certain have raised the eyebrows of even those who don't like young Black American males either because of their lifestyle, behavior or because of their race.
Nevertheless, it is time for America to do a bit of soul searching on both sides. Something has to change...
'Change' should be one of the few constants in any progressive society. Change itself is a sign of progress, and thus when there is a lack of change there is also a lack progress.
The definition of 'insanity' is to repeat the very same behavior multiple times while expecting a different result. Of course, it is an example of one's inability to realize that unless s/he changes his/her behavior the same undesirable outcome will be reached every time.
Needless to say, America continues to experience an "insane state of mind" when it comes to the topic at hand.
By now, many of us are either tired of hearing about such killings, or have become desensitized about it all. The latter is a form of defense mechanism that our brain uses to cope with an unpleasant experience. Admittedly, I used to get so angry about these killings because as a Black man with a Black son, I truly felt exposed as well based on my race, color or phenotype. In fact, even our bi-racial President, Mr. Obama, felt compelled to say something about it when he said that "had he had a son, he would have looked like Trayvon Martin", even though in Trayvon's instance, the killing occurred under the color of authority (i.e., in the hands of a neighborhood watchman named George Zimmerman, and thus not in the hands of an actual cop). But, we can conclude that every Black man has had to talk to someone about the following:
> Driving While Black ("DWB"); or > Any other form of Racial Profiling that can be experienced (e.g., being followed when dressed casually while shopping at super markets).
The fact of the matter is that both cops and Black folks are now highly aware of the issue... and thus, unless each side change something, or one side changes many things, the same incidences will continue to happen.
Change Possibilities
Change Possibility #1: No Change = Same Result
No change on either side and thus many Blacks will continue to place themselves in rather tough positions and some reckless and rage-hatred-and-testosterone cops will continue risk losing their careers and even freedom to teach such Blacks a lesson
Change Possibility #2:
Many Blacks choose to realize the outcome of certain behavior or actions (whether they are right or not), and thus act differently in instances that might trigger Cops to kill them unnecessarily.
Change Possibility#3:
most belligerent and stupid perpetrator will to get unnecessarily killed in the hands of one of its police Police departments can/should/must choose to provide more training to their cops (police officers) as to ensure that even the officers.
Change Possibility#4: Both Change Possibilities# 2 and 3 occur concurrently.
But, unless the last two possibilities happen, we will continue to experience the same results or re-ACTIONS, and of course, will have the peaceful marches in many areas, and civil unrest in others, Black Matter Movement activism, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton making their usual speeches. In fact, we may even have occasional and opportunistic speeches like that of Jesse Williams (a Bi-racial man and actor, who has done some past work about racial issues in America). However, the latter will simply encourage some while inciting others, and thus is not a viable solution either.
However, unless we CHANGE something, the same result ensues. The cops will continue to be viewed as public servants who risked their lives to protect BOTH Blacks and Whites, which is mostly true. Moreover, while the public will be appeased with both public-opinion and legal prosecution of these cops or former cops, 99% of the times, it will continue to be appeasement-show-business because most of these presumably disgraced cops will have eventually been exonerated.
In a nutshell, it's a vicious cycle and the very definition of INSANITY. Thus unless the last above mentioned three change possibilities occur, the cycle will continue, not because we're necessarily stupid, but simply because we are human and sometimes we fail to think outside the box enough to overcome our own insanity our self-deception. It's a rather unfortunate matter of fact.
Solution
We need to brainstorm over this issue. I challenge anyone who is interested in brainstorming on it, and help the United States break out of this vicious cycle to contact me at: recruit@RapidGigsPlus.com
Should you have read this article and failed to contact me, you will have deemed to have failed to do something about an issue that goes to the heart of many of the racial issues that have continued to plague the presumed Land of the Free.
May God help America survive this insanity somehow!
Dr. Pete Lorins is the Editor in Chief of LorinsPost.com. This Article was sponsored by RapidGigsPlus.com