I'm upset.
I'm upset that a seemingly agreeable issue has turned into some sort of political football. It's turned into a political litmus test that no one seems to be able to pass. I'm upset that people are using me and others like me, for their own 15 minutes of fame. When Bernie Sanders got accosted by those 2 girls, it looked like a crossroads moment for me. When Hillary gave a solid answer and was still getting hate because she didnt apologize for something that happened 20 years ago, I realized that this is a no win situation.
Sorry, to break the bad news, but #BlackLivesMatter is not the first activist group to disrupt politicians. I keep reading over and over, 'you cant tell us how to protest!' I mean that's fine and all, if your goal is to get on tv for a few minutes. But if you actually want change, you are going to need A Conversation.
You see, there is another group that also employed those tactics. They've been around since 2002. They were also faced with a life and death situation: War. CODE Pink. Not even a month ago, they disrupted a Ted Cruz rally. Strangely enough, it did not get all that much media coverage. Also, strangely enough, it was eerily reminiscent of what happened to Sanders: Protesters bum rush the stage and demand to be heard.
But this is where the similarities end, Cruz invited Madea Benjamin to speak, she said her piece, and Cruz was able to respond. Unlike Sanders, who was held hostage while the girls called the crowd white supremacists. Cruz may still be against the Iran deal but something more important happened: A Conversation.
Conversations can be enlightening but only if you are willing to listen. So when Hillary Clinton told BLM activists "That's what I'm trying to put together in a way that I can explain and I can sell it," Clinton said. "Because in politics, if you can't explain it and you can't sell it, it stays on its shelf.", and righteous indignation that some took when she said that, like it was some sort of 'whitesplainin' or whatever, is crazy.
Like I don't feel like saying "I say this as respectfully as I can," one of the activists said in response, "but you don't tell black people what we need to do. And we won't tell you all what you need to do." is a Conversation. There is no listening. They are shutting it down before it even starts.
And you would think that someone who doesn't need to be told what to do would have all their ducks in a row, right? Well, apparently, not. #BlackLivesMatter list of demands
*We will seek justice for Brown’s family by petitioning for the immediate arrest of officer Darren Wilson and the dismissal of county prosecutor Robert McCullough. Groups that are part of the local Hands Up Don’t Shoot Coalition have already called for Wilson’s swift arrest, and some BLM riders also canvassed McCullough’s neighborhood as a way of raising the public’s awareness of the case.
*We will help develop a network of organizations and advocates to form a national policy specifically aimed at redressing the systemic pattern of anti-black law enforcement violence in the US. The Justice Department’s new investigation into St Louis-area police departments is a good start, but it’s not enough. Our ride was endorsed by a few dozen local, regional and national organizations across the country – like the National Organization for Women (Now) and Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation – who, while maintaining different missions, have demonstrated unprecedented solidarity in response to anti-black police violence. We hope to encourage more organizations to endorse and participate in a network with a renewed purpose of conceptualizing policy recommendations.
*We will also demand, through the network, that the federal government discontinue its supply of military weaponry and equipment to local law enforcement. And though Congress seems to finally be considering measures in this regard, it remains essential to monitor the demilitarization processes and the corporate sectors that financially benefit from the sale of military tools to police.
*We will call on the office of US attorney general Eric Holder to release the names of all officers involved in killing black people within the last five years, both while on patrol and in custody, so they can be brought to justice – if they haven’t already.
And we will advocate for a decrease in law-enforcement spending at the local, state and federal levels and a reinvestment of that budgeted money into the black communities most devastated by poverty in order to create jobs, housing and schools. This money should be redirected to those federal departments charged with providing employment, housing and educational services.
are to put it nicely, too idiosyncratic to ultimately reach the end goal of stopping unarmed black deaths at the hands. There isn't much here for someone in government to advocate for. The ideas are too vague (decrease in law enforcement spending, how much? for how long?) to too specific(immediate arrest of Darren Wilson), with no actual concrete way to make these goals a reality.
Now compare this to CODEPink's list of demandsfor C.O.D.E.
Pass a resolution to stop the unlawful implementation of the 1033 Program.
Create effective civilian review, with subpoena power, of all shootings and allegations of misconduct by police.
Hold Police forces accountable to the Death in Custody Reporting Act; while working to include reporting on all injuries occurred in the process of arrest or while in custody.
Demand an executive order that creates a strong and enforceable prohibition on police brutality and discriminatory policing based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration status, disability, and housing status.
Advocate for increased funding for the DOJ's Office for Civil Rights to ensure additional, accessible state-level responders for police and other civil rights violations.
Establish a comprehensive national database of police shootings, excessive force, misconduct complaints, traffic & pedestrian stops and arrests, broken down by race, religion, gender identity and other demographic data to be organized and overseen by the US Department of Justice and made publicly available.
Build support for the passage of the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA).
Confront and address issues of white supremacy.
This is exactly what Hillary Clinton was talking about. Actionable goals that can be advocated from anyone, to city council member to Presidential candidate. It's one thing to ask for an the end of military policing and quite another to quote direct legislative action. This is where listening comes in. This is where the Conversation starts.
Hell, I'm sure CODEPink wouldn't mind some of these goals being adopted by BLM on their larger stage, since ultimately, we are all on the same side and fighting for the same thing.
#BlackMannersMatter