Tragically, on August 9, 2014, around 12pm, Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teenager while allegedly begging for his life with hands in the air, the universal sign of surrender, was shot multiple times until he was dead by Darren Wilson, a local police officer of European origin in Ferguson, Missouri. Only 18 years of age, Michael had recently graduated from high school with immediate plans to attend college and later start his own business; thus, a promising fruit on the vine of society destined to blossom and improve life for all.
What follows afterwards seems hopeless, at first, given the ever-increasing incidents of alleged “police brutality” against African American males in their prime that usually ends with vilifying the victim and exonerating the offending police officer. Yet, hope soon looms large on this dismal horizon, as the people have had enough! And the vigorous, collective protesting has begun. Thus, things are about to change in this regard and all for the best, like it or not.
Unlike Trayvon Martin, another doomed teenager, age 17, who, on February 26, 2012 in Sanford, FL, while walking alone one dark and rainy evening was stalked then later shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a wannabe cop passing as the neighborhood watch, Michael Brown was walking with a friend at high noon. Thankfully, his friend, Dorian Johnson, not only survived this traumatic event, but is now a federal witness.
Moreover, there are at least two other creditable witnesses, with more coming forward, who basically are saying the same thing, which makes it very difficult for a reasonable person to overlook. Though systemic racism is trying hard, as usual, to exploit society’s dark beliefs and obscure the facts. Still, such historic conditioning can only last for so long…as the force of truth will not be ignored forever, and that’s a fact!
Where Are Our Peacemakers?
Actually, back in the day, police officers were also called Peace Officers. Despite it all these days, most police officers, who are also trained to operate on a high plane of reason, are really quite good at their jobs. And thus work hard at keeping us, the public, safe. Sometime ago while suffering the painfully loud music of an inconsiderate neighbor…who, by the way, was of European origin…I had to rely heavily on my city’s police department to restore the peace as our transitioning landlord just was not helping that much.
Convincing the police to empathize with my little predicament, however, was not easy at first. After all, they had more important things to do, like catch the bad guys. And I understood that, but I too had to survive. So, after politely rejecting their attempts to convince me that loud music in apartments was normal nowadays, I threaten to go to the press. In turn, they politely gave me their names, badge numbers and sergeant’s telephone number. The ensuing conversation with their sergeant was, of course, perfect. Sgt R was professional without being cold and stuffy, and friendly without being false and condescending; thus, we talked a good half-hour and he kept his word and followed up with me the next day.
“Keep Talking to Them.”
Thereafter, with the police’s help things always calmed down. Since the noise did not permanently abate I had to call the police often. Yet they always came out and cheerfully helped. And so, in the process, I learned how highly trained the police actually were in quietly restoring the peace. Thus, whenever I called the PD, even to ask more questions, I always felt a deep sense of peace after hanging up. Eventually, I moved; thus a happy ending at last.
Yet, I never will forget what one of the responding officers told me after my explaining how difficult it was to get the apartment manager to act, which he had agreed was the owner’s responsibility. It was a potent message that simply said: “Keep talking to them.” This resonated within me deeply as I knew immediately that this message was from a higher place of truth and forgiveness. I would use this advice quite often in difficult times.
Sadly Today, Instead of our Peace Officers, the “Little Foxes” Seem to Abound.
Revered by Judaism and Islamic scholarship, the above Scripture and the entire Song of Solomon is an allegory extolling the bliss of God found only in direct communion with our True Self. The “tender grapes,” reminiscent of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the great Sufi poet, c.1048-1122, represents the peace or bliss of God. While “the little foxes” seem to suggest our stolen peace by the little foxes of anger and hatred festering in our own minds and hearts. And so we must change.
As I see it, if we are to believe the key eyewitness Dorian Johnson, which our justice system usually accepts, as do I absent any future surprises to the contrary that likely will not happen, Officer Darren Wilson had a choice when he approached the two young men in question.
Instead of allegedly telling them to “get the f–k” out of the street and later putting his hands on someone else’s child, thus approaching them with anger and a total disrespect for their humanity, he simply could have told them to get out of the street or parked his cruiser and talked to them peacefully. As neither Michael nor Dorian were suspects of anything other than walking in the street instead of on the sidewalk. Yet, Officer Wilson didn’t, though he knew or should have known to make a better choice in that moment. Tragically, the rest is history.
And the obvious question concerning Officer Wilson’s deadly actions remains: Who or what was he really angry at and why did he let the little foxes of anger and hatred residing within him get the best of him? The best being that in which to allow him to be the Peace Officer that he was or should have been trained to be. Though Officer Wilson may never answer this resounding question publicly, he will one day either in this life or the next as we are all eternal beings.
Document! Document! Document!
After all is said and done, the wake-up call is clear and the community is ready to make definitive changes, and so we move forward. Sure to deter police harassment, a national database of police officer’s offenses is needed. This has to include the offending officer’s name, badge number and, of course, the date, time and place of the incident.
Shortly before his death in 1895, Frederick Douglass was asked what advice he would give to a young African American. He wisely answered: Agitate! Agitate! Agitate! In the Frederick Douglass tradition, I respectfully submit my best advice based on my life experiences as an African American woman on my own path to personal freedom and self discovery.
Thus in hard times where I felt my personal freedom or dignity was about to be oppressed, usually by an important authority figure such as my employer, a landlord, or even the police, my first line of defense was to first either tell that person or somebody and then, if necessary, document, document, document! This has always worked for me and will work in the collective defense against police harassment or worse.
Having heard personal stories of police harassment of African American males over the years, some very hurtful, I have always thought if only these incidents could be documented and kept in a national database for quick reference as future evidence if needed. Well, today’s technology can now supply that need and at minimal cost it seems. Imagine the bad cops who continue to harass and bully people just because they think they can get away with it and usually do. No one likes to be written up, so to speak. Mainly those who know how damaging that can be in a court of law, particularly documentation of repeat offenses.
And so today, let the documenting of police harassment and brutality begin and stored in a national database. No longer do African Americans have to remain a victim of police harassment, thus: Document! Document! Document! And so our democracy evolves.
© Delores L. Adams and The Aunt Jemimah Post 2012-2014. All rights reserved.
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