“Eric reminds me of myself in so many ways, we are both gentle giants.”
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Eric Garner was choked to death by NYC cops. Chokeholds have been against the policy of the NYC police since 1983 according to their own patrol guide. To credit NYC authorities, the officer accused of choking Eric has been stripped of his gun and badge during the investigation, however when will it stop?
It seems there are always a different set of rules that apply to people of color however… Let’s use Marissa Alexander for example. Zimmerman was in his rights under “Stand your Ground” laws to murder Trayvon Martin. Marissa however could be sentenced to 60 years in prison for her firing warning shots into the air…
Different rules for us.
Eric Garner had asthma. He was a gentle person by all accounts, and had no weapon on him, neither was he suspected of having a weapon on him.
So why the brute force in attacking a man who was selling “loose” cigarettes?
Eric reminds me of myself in so many ways, we are both gentle giants. I weep for his family, and despite my advanced degrees, and performance career, he and I are one in the same. We are large black men.
In our white supremacist society, that makes us the enemy, period. The culture teaches folk to be afraid of us and make us villains. It needs to stop, and I don’t know how long it will take to be seen as human beings and not enemies of the state because we walk down the street.
Eric Garner, another casualty of the race war in our “post-racial” America.
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Originally appeared on Billy Flood’s blog under the title “How Long?”
I can’t help thinking that there are other really important attributes that Michael Brown and Eric Garner had in common besides their race. They were both men, and they were both large. I have no doubt that our society has different rules for black people than white people. I’m saying there are ALSO other aspects to these two people that make them even more likely to be a target of police violence. Cops are much more likely to use unnecessary force on a man. Cops are much more likely to use unnecessary force on a large man. In terms of… Read more »
Cops are much more likely to use unnecessary force on a man.
Cops are much more likely to use unnecessary force on a large man.
i hadnt thought of the second point, im thinking youre right about too
Am I the only one here who thinks this is also about gender and size, not just race?
nope, i agree with you wello