Two and a half years ago I attempted to write a blog post regarding the murder of a transgender Human Being that I knew. I could not because it was so raw. The backlash of violence against young people of color over the past five years has demanded a revisit from me. because although the police were not involved directly, their lack of response was equivalent to covert abuse.
The original, intended post:
I knew Islan Nettles. She was a intelligent, articulate and accomplished young woman. She had her whole Life waiting for her and a career in the clothing design industry. Insead, she was beaten to the point of Death.
I am sick to my stomach because what the NYS media monsters failed to mention, in ALL of the articles I'd seen for an etire week, is that the incident happened RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE 148th Street POLICE STATION! If it was a citizen considered to be 'White' or Caucasian', they would have been there johnny-on-the-spot; all over the 'perps': feet on necks, knees on backs and gun barrels pushed up against temples and/or throats! The entire neighborhood put on lock-down until a perp was found. The police materialize, it seems out of thin air, when they want to Stop and Frisk you for handing a friend $5 standing in front of your own dwelling (SIDE-NOTE: I thank DeBlasio for being serious about cracking down on this and not just using it as a campaign nibblet - yet, the police are hard nuts and are no giving it up easily). The people crying about NYC turning into the Wild, Wild West or some 'Mega-City' straight out of a Judge Dredd strip obviously don't live in the communities where this protocol is being abused at every level of policing.
The precinct I'm referring to, located on Frederick Douglass Blvd (8th Ave) between 147th & 148th streets, has a history of harassment & detention of young Latino and Black males. Question: tell me how a beating of that level, right in front of the precinct with cameras upon the roof, NOT catch at least ONE officer's attention? In addition to the ones installed on top of the traffic light poles at the intersections of 147th and 148th streets? Answer: because, the police are worthless when it comes to doing anything that resembles real, sincere support in this community. A neighbor told me that they overheard a officer say, "If we hadn't of responded as quickyl as we did, it woulda been worse..." Excuse me but, last time I checkd: Death is about as bad as you can get. Ummm, maybe I'm wrong, eh?! What's really funny? The day after the tradgedy, I was on my way back home from a walk at around 9:00pm that evening. As I passed the precinct, I noticed that there was a cop on patrol out front, casing the block. LOL!!!!!! I had to find the irony; the humor, to keep myself from wringing that man's neck. It's the first time I've ever seen that in the 10 years I've lived here (on 8th Ave -- only a few blocks from the station). The lives of Black folks don't mean much in the US - esp. young males, women and those of alternative gender orientation...the levels of racism, sexism, gender bias and class snobbery in this country is sick, insane and detestable.
NEWS ARTICLE
http://tinyurl.com/m6cpb7l
No comments:
Post a Comment