I fear for our children and young adults daily. Locally we've had a rash of shootings,the majority involving people under the age of 25. Two of these cases involved young men I knew personally. It's been almost two years since Daniel Covington, son of a former principal I worked for was fatally shot in the streets of Louisville, Ky. According to many witnesses outside of the club, Isaiah Howes and a passenger in his car were shouting racial slurs to Daniel. Daniel, unarmed ran up to the car window and was fatally shot in "self defense." I don't carry a gun and if someone runs up to my car, I'm driving off. If the person happens to get injured in the process, that is a direct result of their actions. In this case the driver shot a gun. Facts: Howe, the shooter is white, a baseball player for UofL and the son of a prominent attorney. Covington, is a black, former UofL football player that had racial slurs directed at him. While it wasn't good judgement to run up to the window to address these slurs, fatally shooting him was not adequate force to stop it, it was over the top unnecessary.
" Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - WHAS11 News has learned that the man accused of shooting former U of L player Daniel Covington will not be charged.
A judge has ordered that this case not be turned over to the grand jury."
What a travesty on an apparent racially motivated incident that had multiple witnesses to attest to this fact.
I am as, if not more, deeply disturbed by the Trayvon Martin incident. How a 17 year old child with a cell phone, iced tea and a bag of skittles poses a lethal threat to an older, at least 130 pounds larger, gun wielding man is beyond my realm of imagination. This gun toting, vigilante, neighborhood watch man, George Zimmerman can chase, against law enforcement's advice, this 17 year old black boy, gun him down and still be walking around? A disgrace to our country, it's principles and a major step back in time. I am appalled.
I understand there's two sides to all stories, I understand there's good people in law enforcement and our courts that take the job of upholding the law seriously and fairly, but I also know there is an ugly side. A side that uses racial profiling to make routine stops, to impose punishments and to degrade young minority men to the point of frustration. How does the white lady know this? Because my half black/half white sons have been victims of such on numerous occasions including their experiences in public school. This morning's incident was a blatant example and basically verified by the officer with his own words. We have a store around the corner that happens to sit beside a police precinct. I have driven to this store many times without incident, yet this morning my son went there and on his way back home was pulled over, not for a traffic infraction, but in the words of the officer, "You drove by me twice, I thought you were up to no good." The sad part about all of this is his dignity is and has,been stripped away little by little over the years.
There are those that will claim we've come so far since pre civil rights movement, but I really have to question if we truly have or are some just cleverly designing new ways to "lynch?"
2 comments:
Yes, Ms. Debi, Yes! ~ the shooting of the young man in Florida has been under family discussion here for three nights.
My grandson is a mixed (1/2 white 1/2 black ~ African American young teen). We don't think this would happen in our town, but one never knows. This event in Florida has shook us to our core.
Most sadly, we felt the need to tell Grand that he needs to be especially aware of situations around him at all times.
It's fine for parents to tell their children to be awares...but it is heartbreaking as a grandparent to be telling your grandchild to be extra awares because of his race.
In my heart of hearts, this Florida shooting, that man went out of his way to push the situation and confrontation of a teen who had done no harm to anyone whatsoever. He was an African American teen and as far as I know he was alone, he was alone.
I don't care what Florida law says, I don't care what the police agency there handling (NOT) this case says. The shooter perpetrated the situation, escalated the situation, and then pulled the trigger in haste. The shooter is not an innocent man in all this. Somebody's beloved son is dead, gone. It's all so disturbing.
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Thank you so much Debi for writing this, thank you.
I am unsure if I shall be allowed to post 'back-to-back' comments. I wanted to say to the African American community ~ regarding my first comment.
This entire incident really brought home to us (our family) part of what you (African American community in America) have been dealing with for years and I failed to fully receive that message and understand it well until now.
This is the 21st Century ~ 2012 way past time for all of us to be people together. I'm @grammakaye on twitter.
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