Sharpton speaks out on the Sean Bell case - "Even people with criminal backgrounds have civil rights"

[Forever Young 1]

Look,

I know that most of you will NEVER understand why the African- American community is so outraged, I know you think we are over-reacting ...yet again...what's the big deal?...but I'm going to say this anyway...

As a mother of three African-American BOYS...this ish scares the hell out of me!! No, not just b/c of Sean Bell...but because of Amadou Diallo, Eleanor Bumpers, Rodney King, Freddie Rivera...the list goes on and on! The cops admtted that they DID NOT identify who the hell they were when they pulled their weapons. I don't know where you live...but here in NYC...you're coming out of a club and you see plain clothes men pulling out iron...HELL YEAH you press your foot on the gas and GO! Unfortunately, for Sean that was the wrong decision...for which he paid with his life!

This continues to happen OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN...!!! It leaves the impression that African-American lives are less valued than their caucasian counterparts! I was not even looking for prison time (although it would have been bloodclaat nice). I would have been happy with NYPD penal codes, procedures, and training being changed so that this would NEVER happen again! Just some accountability that 50 shots was above and beyond necessary force! But nope...it's back to business as usual! "Ni**er...step out of line and this can happen to you!"

So, go ahead make your witty comments about Sharpton and the Bell Family! But that doesn't change the fact that 2 little girls are now fatherless and a woman awoke on what should have been the happiest day of her life to hear that some rasclaat hidiot 'cops' just shot her fiance for yet another BS reason!

So yeah, Rev. Al is going to keep on shouting and yeah ...I'm going to keep on attending rallys, sit-in's & protests...because maybe one day...one day... when my boys are men...I can sleep at night, not having to worry if they are going to be arrested, beaten or killed because of their skin color! But I doubt it!

Bless-ed,

Gill

[Heracles 417]

Do the critics in the black American community ever wonder why they are targeted, even by black police, so much. Between DC, Chicago and Philli there were over 50 shootings during the past 2 weeks. People need to wake up and realize this sort of lifestyle is not common in the rest of the developed world. This is not Sudan or the 1820 wild west.

Why not ask why so many in the community glamorize the gansta lifestyle yet cry racist when black youth are targeted. Instead of blaming Caucasians, why not ask black youth why they shoot up the local high school bus stops rather than hitting the books. This is why nothing changes for the community because it is always some other person or event to blame; Rather than the 16 year old out at 2:00am shooting others or tagging up a wall.

So yes innocent kids who are black will get caught up but I don't agree with blaming Caucasians for this. And then using the you don't understand the black community excuse. Your are right I don't. My parents pushed us to go to school and be good honest citizens. Help others. Take care of our community etc.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Look,

I know that most of you will NEVER understand why the African- American community is so outraged, I know you think we are over-reacting ...yet again...what's the big deal?...but I'm going to say this anyway...

As a mother of three African-American BOYS...this ish scares the hell out of me!! No, not just b/c of Sean Bell...but because of Amadou Diallo, Eleanor Bumpers, Rodney King, Freddie Rivera...the list goes on and on! The cops admtted that they DID NOT identify who the hell they were when they pulled their weapons. I don't know where you live...but here in NYC...you're coming out of a club and you see plain clothes men pulling out iron...HELL YEAH you press your foot on the gas and GO! Unfortunately, for Sean that was the wrong decision...for which he paid with his life!

This continues to happen OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN...!!! It leaves the impression that African-American lives are less valued than their caucasian counterparts! I was not even looking for prison time (although it would have been bloodclaat nice). I would have been happy with NYPD penal codes, procedures, and training being changed so that this would NEVER happen again! Just some accountability that 50 shots was above and beyond necessary force! But nope...it's back to business as usual! "Ni**er...step out of line and this can happen to you!"

So, go ahead make your witty comments about Sharpton and the Bell Family! But that doesn't change the fact that 2 little girls are now fatherless and a woman awoke on what should have been the happiest day of her life to hear that some rasclaat hidiot 'cops' just shot her fiance for yet another BS reason!

So yeah, Rev. Al is going to keep on shouting and yeah ...I'm going to keep on attending rallys, sit-in's & protests...because maybe one day...one day... when my boys are men...I can sleep at night, not having to worry if they are going to be arrested, beaten or killed because of their skin color! But I doubt it!

Bless-ed,

Gill

Great post, Gill!

[Heracles 417]

I was just watching the news tonight and a african American lady was saying how her child was just shot 17 times standing at a street corner. This is seriously an epidemic. Forget Iraq. They need to station troops around American inner cities.

One guy gets killed and the community is up in arms demanding some sort of punishment for the police for doing their job. Whereas a kid cannot walk down a freakin street without being gunned down.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[chnst 6]

Boo-Yah, I absolutely agree with your posts.