I was inspired today when I tuned into NPR and heard "Staffers walk out of Congress in protest over Brown and Garner cases." This was to show support for protesters angered by the recent grand jury decisions in Ferguson and Staten Island not to indict police offers involved in the deaths of two unarmed Black men, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Marcia L. Fudge noted "In the span of two weeks, this nation seems to have heard one message loud and clear: there will be no accountability for taking Black lives."
Protests have been happening across the United States since the killing of Michael Brown in August of this year. They began in Ferguson following Brown's death, and often erupted into acts of vandalism and violence as an almost war-like state encroached the city. Following the decision regarding Garner's, protests were reignited. Right now in Oakland and Berkeley, protests have been going on for 5 straight nights, with some instances of window breaking, vandalism, and clashes with police authorities. There were more than 1,000 protesters in the street, mainly young and multiracial, stating charges of police brutality.
When civil rights are at risk, it's important for citizens to speak out and be heard. There have been many Supreme Court cases supporting citizen's right to freedom of speech, which is protected in protests. What protesters should be wary of, however is allowing demonstrations to turn violent and criminal. Protests will be much more difficult to defend if actual laws are being broken. However, a frustrated public is crying out to authorities, and sometimes it's necessary to cry out as loud as possible.
These cases will no doubt make it up to the Supreme Court for debate. In the meantime, I urge the public to continue speaking out as peacefully (yet forcefully) as possible.
2 comments:
As Miss Amber Goers stated, our country has been experiencing some unrest and rioting. These riots are in relation to the lack of officer accountability. In two cases officers shot and killed unarmed African American males and no charges were filed against them. Some facts in both of these cases are unclear, but the taking of a human life should not be brushed off so easily. Some citizens, especially in Ferguson, Missouri, have taken action in the streets. Some protests, such as the congressional walkout, have been nonviolent. Others include citizens taking to the streets and in some cases caused destruction.
While Ms. Goers believes these protests should be less violent, I disagree. Violent means lead to our countries separation from our misrepresenting, British colonial rulers and has been a big part of many movements around the world. Non-violent action should be our first means of change but that doesn’t always work. Sometimes we must show our frustration to enact real change.
With growing violence against unarmed protests and the militarization of our police force many people are feeling mute in a country that needs our voice now more then ever. I am not saying we should all riot over everything but we should be able to stand up for our beliefs. Our country is crying out for a change and we have a higher possibility of making this a reality if more people see the effect of the injustice being served. These two men simply represent a bigger issue with our police force and racial discrimination.
To see the full response with the hyper links, go to my page. :) My response was too lont to pust in your comments. It wouldn't let me put it all in. LOL
http://carriehenry1117.blogspot.com/2014/12/an-unfortunate-step-back-in-time.html
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