Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Freddie Gray and the Baltimore Riots.

Freddie Gray and the riots in Baltimore, Maryland, have blanketed the news and social media for the past few days. It has garnered much attention because Gray, a black male,  was arrested and later died in police's custody. This is a situation that has become prevalent -- black men losing their lives at the hands of the police. As a result, mixed emotions flared throughout the United States, especially in Baltimore, where riots have been so violent, the National Guard has been deployed -- at least that's the media's version of the story.

In any event, I'm against police brutality. Why wouldn't I be? The last time I checked, I was a black male. And if you didn't know, black males are the number one recipients of police brutality in America. No, I don't have a stat report to share with you, but we can both agree that black men are dying at the hands of the police at an alarming rate. But as I was saying, I am opposed to the police killing unarmed black men. I am even more appalled at the police murdering black men and not being adequately punished for doing so.

But before I or anyone else can express anger over Gray's death, what about the lives of black men and  women that are slaughtered by our own people daily? Where are the riots and protests when we (members of the black community) murder each other? Where is the civil unrest when we steal from each other, rape each other, and abandon our children to be raised by single-mothers? We have killed each other over high-priced Jordan sneakers. We have killed each other because one of us is a Blood and the other, a Crip. We have killed each other because of a turf way, claiming a block or neighborhood to sell drugs in. We have continued and continued to kill one another as if our lives are meaningless. If we are to be angry and gray over the death of our own at the hands of the police, then we must share the same sentiment when it is being down within our own communities.

I understand what's taking place in Baltimore. We have a right to be upset. We have a right to be angry. We have a right to be violent. We have a right to assert that Black lives matter. Freddie Gray's death was unfortunate and unjust. His life mattered. But just as we express anger and frustration over Gray's death, we must  express the same  anger and frustration when we kill each other and start acting like black lives really matter to us and not just when we are murdered by the police.