This one will be short.
I just had the most maddening conversation with my mother. I'm so angry right now I can't even breathe. The gist of it was, we were talking about the church massacre and I haven't had the news on all day, so I asked whether the suspect had been caught.
She says, "Oh, yes. He surrendered without incident. You see he's alive. If only those others would just stop being hostile when dealing with police and just do what they're told, they would make it out alive too."
I called bullshit. Yes, I called bullshit on my mother. I told her those others have a bit more melanin in their skin, and had the situation been reversed, had the shooter been black and the victims white, the black man would most likely STILL have been dead. No matter how docile, compliant, or respectful. His skin is what matters to these cops. This is why a white man can shoot a theater full of people and walk away with his life. This is why a bunch of "patriots" can train weapons on federal agents and not face any consequences.
Yet a black child with toy guy is shot down within seconds. A black man carrying a bb gun in a store in an open carry state is gunned down. And a black man clearly running away is shot in the back. A black man walking on a chilly day with his hands in his pockets is stopped because he was making people nervous. Then there are the others who've somehow managed to shoot themselves in the chest or back even while handcuffed in the backseat of police cars.
This blame the victim shit that mom is trying to sell has been floating around for too long. A black man can just be standing, minding his own business and die in this screwed up country of ours.
No matter how nice. Or compliant. Or non-resistant. Blackness is what they see. First and foremost. And blackness or browness is what determines the way you are treated by LEOs in this day and age.
Too bad my mother has been brainwashed. She can't see past her own hatred.