Thursday, December 4, 2014

Eric Garner Verdict, Saddening, but Predictable

ERIC GARNER, MIKE BROWN REPRESENT MODERN DAY LYNCHINGS
By Mildred Robertson

It is with wonder that I heard the decision of the Grand Jury in the Eric Garner murder case. According to the dictionary, murder, by definition is “the killing of another human being under conditions specifically covered in the law;”  “The unlawful killing of another human being without justification or excuse.” Based upon these definitions, the taking of Eric Garner’s life undoubtedly falls into the category of murder.
So how is it that a group of American citizens can come together and determine that it is okay for a man to be choked to death on the streets of New York with an unlawful chokehold, with witnesses looking on and with a video of the entire incident? What could have possibly gone on in that court room that convinced those jurors that what happened on the streets of New York on July 17, 2014 was lawful and justified?

Or was that not even a consideration?
Has America determined that the life of a black man has no value? Has America yet again determined that African Americans are less than human, and therefore do not deserve the protections afforded by our constitution?  Is it safe to say, that if you are black in America, and scare some white person because you’re black, or you’re big, or perhaps, even aggressive, that you are automatically some demon-possessed hulk against whom lethal force is appropriate?
You know, I said it was with wonder that I heard the decision…not surprise. I would have been surprised had justice been served.
As I read social media about this incident and others like it such as the cases of Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown, I am amazed at the lack of empathy from so many about a life snatched unnecessarily soon. It as though young black men have no right to expect to reach adulthood.
I liken the Mike Brown verdict, along with that in the Trayvon Martin killing, and certainly the Eric Garner case, as modern day lynchings, where whites—not all, but enough to be disturbing—view it as entertainment.
They seem to take pleasure in the social unrest, pointing to looting and rioting as an excuse for the murder, not seeing the connection between societal ills and the behavior of some who are hopeless. I say some, because some of the actions taken by protestors are opportunistic.
It saddens me that the media has allowed the focus to be moved from the issue of the injustice to these young men, to the clearly lawless actions of a few. Let the law handle the looters – but our nation must face the very real threat of a racial chasm that will tear us apart if we do not acknowledge the very real racial disparities that are alive and well in our country.   
I caution my white brethren who are so quick to defend these lawless actions of the police in the Eric Garner and Mike Brown cases. If given this type of leeway in the black community – who is next. If you sit by and watch them come for me—once they have completed that task, will they come for you? Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
 

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