Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Amerikkka! Amerikkka! God Shed His Grace on Thee

It's been 7 days since nine African-American church worshippers were gunned down after having shared prayer with the alleged gunman, 21 year-old Dylann Roof.  As predicted, the media has fully disappointed.  First, they couldn't stop calling this alleged enemy of the state a "Kid."  Really?  Trayvon Benjamin Martin was never known as a kid, though he was a mere 17-years old when  renegade neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman took his life.  Zimmerman would later be freed by a jury of his peers, only to be arrested 7 more times for assault crimes.   I heard a TV expert dissecting Roof's background that would be appalling to most, and he couldn't help call him a kid.  The adjective denotes innocence.  Many whites in America want to find out what demon took this child's innocence that would cause him to do such dastardly things.  Black America wants justice for the crimes. 

The night before Roof's arrest I found myself in a Twitter debate with Nick Searcy who plays Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen endearingly one of my favorite shows, FX's Justified.  Nick was quick to call out the liberal media, and me, for jumping to conclusions about who the shooter might be, and labeling him a criminal terrorist before his capture.  I debated him for hours about how unfair his liberal whining's were. 

I was so bold as to Tweet CNN's Jake Taper, and ask him how he would characterize the alleged shooter on his afternoon show.  Taper was gracious enough to respond, saying he wouldn't ever use the word thug, but somewhat tepidly agreed with me that it was an act of terrorism at best.  I was happy to see his newscast when he didn't mince words to describe the shooter, though he stopped short of calling him a terrorist. 

As many African-American's know for sure, there will be no justice in this America even for 9 innocent, church-going folk in Charleston, South Carolina.  Our community will carry on as we always have, and deal with the pain and hurt after so many hundreds of years of cruelty and inhuman suffering at the hands of American brothers and sisters.  There are no martyrs amongst us, we are rather a remarkable people of enduring faith in God and strength.  We will survive and be the last ones standing in the end.  God bless America, and the children who made her so great.  Good night Moon, Good night black people, Good night America.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

No Justice No Peace


When I woke this morning the world was whole, but now as I lay my head down to sleep under the blanket of freedom we are all supposed to be afforded in America I realize our nation is shattered in a million pieces.  Nine black people lay dead in an AME church in Charleston, South Carolina after a single, white, gunman entered the sanctuary and opened fire. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/17/charleston-south-carolina-shooting/28902017/


I have more questions than answers.  Why does this keep happening in our country, and how could someone commit such a heartless crime against humanity, in a church of all places.  What should our response be?  Can this gunman be forgiven his sins against our community?

I was just extolling the virtues of the human race since Adam ate that apple, and now it appears the sins of man just keep growing more and more insidious and malicious.  

As I scan my Twitter timeline, my emotions run high.  Black twitter is urging our community to stop praying, and take up arms NOW.  Conservatives are calling for calm.  Media is loath to call the alleged gunman a "terrorist" or "thug," monikers they effortlessly slapped on young, black protesters in Baltimore.  But what is the right direction for America at this time in our history, do we pray or do we protest.

As the mother of a precious, 6-year old black girl I say the right response must be prayer and protest.  I cannot in good conscious close my eyes and rest, when this is the world that awaits her outside the safety of our home.  I rage against elected officials who ride the money train into office on the dime of the National Rifle Association, and legislate to keep the NRA strong.  I rail against American's that ask for an in-depth investigation before we cast aspersions and judgments.  I bristle at my own belief that we are all redeemable and deserve forgiveness for sins against our fellow man.

The burning question is how will America wake up tomorrow, and what justice will she mete out for such an unspeakable event.