I have thought about blogging this for awhile now. I didn’t know if anything I said would be of any interest to anyone. That is not what this is about though, is it? Regardless of what any one person thinks, someone will be there to disagree with you. With that said, let’s talk about Ferguson.
I first heard of Ferguson via twitter. Social media is fast becoming the place to go for live updates on everything around the world. Live streams are fast becoming the new media for the world as well. You get unedited, raw footage, that is live. No story twisting there. I came across a tweet that linked to a live stream, and I haven’t stopped watching. It’s been over 100 days and counting since Mike Brown was killed. I’m still waiting and watching.
This case has brought out many emotions for me. I have never in my life seen or witnessed as much hate as I see on social media. That is part of the reason I was silent for so long. My fear silenced me, and it was deafening. I was scared that someone would send me hate mail, or people would attack me the way they did live streamers, and protesters. I didn’t talk to many people about it, and in the last few weeks, I have barely said anything to anyone about it. Except my Mother. She has been a rock for me. I broke down sobbing on the phone with her one day, and she made time to sit and listen to what I needed to say. That conversation went on for hours. I honestly had no idea I had that much anger, or that I was that sad over what was happening there. After that conversation, she made time for me a few times a week to “let it out”. She’s amazing.
Since we have opened the flood gates, she has told me stories about her childhood. She was a teenager during the Civil Rights Movement, and her best friend was black. She told me a story that happened in 1963, when she was about 18. She took a bus to Florida to visit her family. The farther South they got….the black people had to go to the back of the bus. I still cannot wrap my brain around that, and I wouldn’t have been able to then either. She went through alot as a teenager for her “choice in friends”. That was the first time I have heard my Mother speak about racism. When there were riots going on at the High School my Sister attended in the 70’s, again, I couldn’t wrap my brain around it. Some may say I ignored it, but that isn’t true. I spoke up many times about how people treated each other. I wasn’t very popular at times, and I really didn’t care. I HATED that it was going on around me, and I wasn’t going to be a part of it. I remember kids running down the street screaming during one of the riots at the High School. I ran to the back of my house and opened the basement door for about 10 kids who were terrified. I was a 3rd grader at the time. We all hid down there for a couple of hours, and they were all calling their Parents to let them know they were okay. All races were down there, and we were all crying and scared of what was going on.
Forward to when I became a Parent. Had my Son made a racist or hateful comment, I wouldn’t have done my job as a Parent. Racism and hate are taught. We are ALL human. We ALL deserve to be treated with respect, and dignity. We should all be able to live in this world no matter our skin color, who we love, or what we believe. Spend time on things you don’t understand. Don’t hate something you don’t understand it. Be NICE! Is it really that hard?
I don’t believe in violence, of any kind. I think we, as a society, have to stand up for something, or we will fall for EVERYTHING! When I saw that there were 3 young men killed by police in a matter of 2 months, in the same general area, there is a problem. When there are young adults standing up and fighting for their lives, that is a movement. I have said it before, and I will say it again. The youth that I have followed in Ferguson are going to change this world, for the better. They are smart, strong, and they are not being held back by fear. This doesn’t look and sound like the Civil Rights Movement, because “it ain’t your Mothers Civil Rights Movement”.
I’m not saying ALL police officers are bad people either. I’m saying, the amount of bullets they put into these young men was excessive. When history keeps repeating itself, we have to stand up and do something. Remember Rodney King? Remember Kelly Thomas? Remember Donovan Jackson? Look them up if you don’t. Watch the videos. No one was charged in any of those killings, or beatings. Something is wrong here, and it needs to stop.
The police reaction to the protests has been excessive. In August, the streets of Ferguson looked like a warzone. It was the most sad thing I have ever seen. Children were tear gassed, and shot with rubber bullets. Peaceful crowds were advanced on, and arrested. Yes, there was looting, and yes there were outside people that came in to take advantage of the situation. If everyone would pay attention to live streaming, you would know the truth. Main Stream Media, doesn’t show everything, and most of the footage is put together to tell whatever story they want to tell. In the beginning, it was “mobs of violent rioters”. Side note: The Pumpkin Fest………Roudy College Kids. See the difference here?
My challenge to you is, get out there, find a live stream, and watch. This is happening in our country. We should be angered that people in the year 2014 have to fight to have the freedoms that were fought for by our ancestors. We should be angry that 50 years after the Civil Rights Laws were passed, people are STILL fighting for the right to just live. In a world where Charles Manson is allowed to get married, and same sex marriage isn’t recognized…..there is a problem. Everyone has the right to be heard. EVERYONE.
my"m"words 