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Another city following in the footsteps of New Orleans and I LOVE IT!
This past Monday, crews in St. Louis began dismantling a 103 year old Confederate monument that stood 38 feet tall and portrayed a Confederate solider parting ways with his family to go fight in the Civil War with an angel hovering above them. The Missouri Civil War Museum will pay for the removal of the statue which has to be completed by Friday. The monument will be kept in storage until a new location can be found either @ a Civil War museum, a cemetery, or a battlefield outside of St. Louis County. Since Michael Brown was murdered back in 2014, the statue has been tagged with messages like, "End Racism" and "Black Lives Matter." It's also been a place where people gather together to protest injustices in the community. Quick story: I was @ work today and I was on the phone with a man that was older and I knew he was white without a shadow of a doubt. We were discussing the city I live in and he mentioned how beautiful and historic it was and OUT OF NOWHERE, he then says, "It's a shame what they're doing to the monuments." I swear this really happened! Needless to say, I was perplexed because to the best of my knowledge there has been no decision made about removing the city's statues. I'm pretty positive he didn't know I'm black because when I'm @ work, I have to put on my fake voice, and I'm sure even if he did know, he wouldn't have given a damn. I'm certain he's 1 of those older folks that just says whatever comes to mind and doesn't care who gets offended, and no that's not a dig @ white people because everybody knows somebody like that. Hell, I'm only in my 20s and I've already reached that point in my life! Anyways, @ that point, I became irritated because I had a lot that I would've liked to say to him such as, I'm sure the removing of statues would be devastating for somebody such as yourself who's never had to fight to be equal in this country, however for somebody like me and for all the other black folks we have a very different viewpoint of the statues being removed, we celebrate these things because inch by inch it gives us hope that maybe 1 day we can live in a world where we're not constantly reminded with the help of statues that we're not equal to folks such as yourself. But of course because I was @ work, all I could muster while biting my tongue was, "hmm." After he made that comment, the only thing I could do was attempt to hurry him off of my phone because I slipped up and gave him a taste of this reckless mouth!
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...sighs..here we all are again, another black person's life has been cut short @ the hands of an officer.
Here's what yall need to know about the events that led up to the death of Charleena Lyles (30):
Brief thoughts: ...sighs... I honestly think @ this point, these shootings keep happening over and over and they're happening almost back to back, and I think I'm becoming desensitized to it, which is of course a big problem. It's almost normal @ this point and we know the script of what's going to happen next. People will mull over if charges should be brought against the officers, more than likely there won't be charges, and in the off chance that there are, there won't be a conviction. We ride this rollercoaster of insanity more often than any person should have to and it's no wonder that people are becoming more and more desensitized to the news when shootings like these happen. The whole entire situation bothers me, but something that I've noticed and have been disgusted by in a few of these shootings is why officers are shooting where there are kids nearby. They would raise hell if somebody fired a weapon in the vicinity of their children, so why isn't it the same for another person's child? This is a problem I had in the shooting of Philando Castile, where his girlfriend's daughter was catty corner to where he was sitting when he was shot. Another thing that disturbs me is if you know she has mental issues, if you know she is a "safety risk," then why aren't yall arming yourselves accordingly? Who's lying in terms of the taser situation? Is the police department lying saying the officers had them on their persons or are the officers lying? Either way, somebody is spewing some bullshit. This shooting is personal to me, not just because I'm a black person living in "America," but because I am a person who has mental illness. I believe I've stated this a few times on my blog, but here it is again! I have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, and chronic depression. It's terrifying to know that she was murdered because she had a mental illness and reacted to a situation purely based on the fact that she wasn't in her right frame of mind. We all know it's not "normal" to confront officers with 2 knives, no person in their "right" mind does that. So, I just don't understand why if they know this person suffers from mental illness, why wasn't the situation handled accordingly. Granted, I don't have mental illness to her level, but it's still terrifying to think that officers not only don't give a shit if you're black, but they also could give a shit if you suffer from mental illness. I think this shooting frightened me more because it made me think what if I have an encounter with an officer and I become so terrified that I spiral into an anxiety attack, something that comes on suddenly, and something I have no control over once it starts. In the midst of an anxiety attack, I don't have the ability to formulate sentences, I can barely breathe, I get really hot and start to sweat, I'm in full on panic mode, what if an officer takes my reactions to my anxiety disorder as a "threat" even though @ that point, I'm more of a threat to myself than anybody else. I think it just made me realize, even though I've been known this, that my life doesn't matter as a black woman, but also as a person who has mental health issues. ALSO, there was so much outrage about the congressman who was shot, where's all the outrage for her?? An attack on 1 is an attack on all right? Unless you're BLACK. #sayhername #blacklivesmatter Last Wednesday, the city of Milwaukee approved a $2.3 million settlement that'll go towards the son of Dontre Hamilton who was murdered by a police officer in a downtown park back in 2014.
For those unaware of what happened to Dontre Hamilton, here's a brief recap:
The lawsuit was brought against the city by Hamilton's family, who have also become advocates in their community demanding better training for officers when it comes to aiding those who have mental illness, like Dontre. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will sign off on the settlement within in the next 10 days. The money from the settlement will go into a fund for Dontre's son which he can receive when he becomes an adult His brother Dameoin Perkins had the following to say regarding the settlement:
Brief thoughts: He's absolutely right, yes his son will receive enough money to last him potentially for the rest of his life, but that's not going to bring back his father. Once again, I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said. Once again, another trigger happy cop. Shooting a person 14 times isn't self defense, @ the point it becomes cold blooded murder, you're shooting him enough times with the intent to kill him. Firing once, maybe twice, is self defense, just enough to subdue the other person. Also, why did this officer feel the instant need to frisk this man? He was sleeping in the park, why not try and help him by finding him a place to sleep for the night? Why the instant desire to treat him like he's a criminal? That's part of the problem, nobody treats anybody like they're human beings, people automatically jump to conclusions about the worst that a person can/could be. #blacklivesmatter #sayhisname The NYDP police sergeant that murdered a mentally ill 66 year old woman by the name of Deborah Danner in her home on October 18, 2016, has been indicted in her murder.
For those that don't remember, he's a recap of what happened to Deborah Danner:
Barry has been charged with 2nd degree murder, 1st and 2nd degree manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide. He was released on $100,000 bail and will appear in court again on July 7, 2017. "A special grand jury investigated this case for more than 2 months. After a thorough, deliberate investigation, they have indicted NYPD Sergeant Hugh Barry for causing the death of Ms. Danner. What I asked last December that a special grand jury be impaneled, I said there would be no timetable, and that a fair investigation would take place and go wherever the evidence takes it. I commend the grand jurors for their painstaking work and for giving so much time away from their families. The investigation revealed that, based on these circumstances and his training, Barry did not avail himself of other options before using deadly physical force."--Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark Thoughts: I don't know what else I can say that hasn't already been said. Just another example of a trigger happy cop when there were other ways to handle the situation when she was clearly in mental and emotional distress. No reason that Deborah Danner should be deceased right now, no reason @ all. #blacklivesmatter #sayhername I saw Tamir Rice's name trending on Twitter, so of course nosy me went to go check it out, and I saw people tweeting that the officer that shot him was fired. Part of me was excited and happy about this, but the other nosy part of me knew that there was more to it, so I dug deeper, and this is what really happened.
Timothy Loehmann was fired, not for murdering Tamir, but because he lied on his job application with the police department. I REPEAT THIS MURDER WAS NOT FIRED BECAUSE HE SHOT AND KILLED A LITTLE BOY, HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE HE WITHHELD INFORMATION ON HIS JOB APPLICATION! His partner the day Tamir was murdered, Frank Garmback, has been suspended for 10 for driving too closely to Tamir when they arrived on the scene. I REPEAT THIS ACCOMPLICE TO TAMIR'S MURDER WAS SUSPENDED NOT BECAUSE TAMIR WAS MURDERED, BUT BECAUSE HE DROVE UP TOO CLOSE TO HIM! If Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams allows it, Garmback could be back on patrol following his suspension and only after he goes through a reintegration program. The lies that he told on his application include the following:
Tamir's mother released the following statement regarding the firing and suspension:
Brief thought: Aside from being appalled that him lying on his job application was a bigger deal than him shooting and killing a boy in under a second. I think the emotion that comes to mind more is confusion. I'm confused because if and when I apply for jobs, they need a vile of blood, the deed to my 1st born child, a reference from every person I've ever crossed paths with, pictures of me before I went natural to verify that I am who I am, you name it, they need it! I'm pretty positive that yall have experienced the same exact thing, soooo you mean to tell me, my prospective employer calls my references and my previous job, but police departments don't call a prospective officer's previous department?? Wouldn't one think it's more important for police departments and jobs with this high of importance to do their background checks with previous employers?? If that had been done, it's a great possibility that Tamir would still be alive. Being that I've said all that, I blame not only the officer that shot and killed Tamir, but I blame their HR department that's supposed to be handling these sort of things, and I blame the entire department for allowing this sort of thing to happen! UPDATE #5
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Brief thought: I'm not shocked that this is potentially going to happen. The fact that a black man did everything right and still wound up dead @ the hands of an officer, is just the American way @ this point. Maybe this asshole would've known he had a permit to carry if he wasn't so trigger happy. It's amazing what Yanez would've found out about Castile, if that pesky ol thing called murder didn't occur. I'm not shocked by this, but I am absolutely positively outraged. You were so trigger happy that you didn't even give the man a chance to explain himself. Let's just hand the trial over to the officer @ this point. ORIGINAL POST **WARNING: Video of the incident has been provided below and viewers should use caution before watching due to it's graphic nature** The trial into the murder of Philando Castille is now underway.
#blacklivesmatter #sayhisname UPDATE/ADDITIONAL INFO
ORIGINAL POST Just something quick that I wanted to share. Baltimore is looking to follow New Orleans' lead and explore the possibilities of removing their Confederate monuments. "The city does want to remove the monuments and could save money by auctioning them off."--Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh Brief thought: I'm all for the removal of the statues, I'm all for the money of the sales going back into the community, and hopefully the statues will be placed in a museum where people will have to pay to see their beloved statue and that money can also be used to benefit the community. UPDATE #4
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ORIGINAL POST The trial into the officer that murdered Laquan McDonald and the justification that his lawyer put forth in court was semi shocking. I can't be completely shocked because this is how people who are apart of the problem really think. Daniel Herbert, lawyer for Officer Jason Van Dyke, said this during his argument to justify the officer's action, "Yes, it was an ugly shooting, ugly from the standpoint it showed a graphic image, not unlike most shootings were a policy officer shoots at an individual. The point is it was business as usual." He didn't stop there! He continued with, "If a firefighter arrives on the scene of a fire and climbs up on the roof and takes the ax out and cuts the roof open to ventilate the roof...are we going to charge that firefighter with criminal damage to property? Of course not. It's preposterous. You cannot be charged criminally for duties you are required by law to do." Brief thoughts: Sir, shut the entire hell up. You're comparing 2 entirely different things. 1 doesn't involve taking a person's life and the other involves an officer shooting a teenager 16 times. It's business as usual for an officer to shot another person 16 times? Sure, since the young man was hold a knife, I can semi understand firing once in a location of the body that wouldn't kill him in order to incapacitate him, but emptying his gun 14 seconds or less is beyond excessive. I'm sure if the firefighter had to cut open the roof and there was video of it, there wouldn't be any hesitation to release the video of him doing so, there was blatant refusal to release the video of this incident. To call this young man's death business as usual is disturbing to me and to say that police shooting other people is business as usual is also disturbing. Where does it say that police can go around shooting people and it be business as usual? I thought business as usual was protecting and defending the citizens they're supposed to be trained to protect. I thought business as usual was diffusing situations in appropriate manners and not using excessive force. So, pretty much what I've gathered from his words is that if an officer shoots another person instead of finding another way to handle the situation it's just business as usual. So, remember ladies and gentlemen, the next time an unfortunate incident like this should happen, we're not to be alarmed or outraged because it's just business as usual. #blacklivesmatter #sayhisname I believe there's something very special about a person that can take a negative experience or time in their life and turn it into something positive because not everybody has the ability to do that.
I stumbled upon this post while I was doing my research about all things Trump and I felt so compelled to share because even though our circumstances are more different than I could ever imagine, I can newly relate to taking a negative and turning it into a positive. Michael Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, has accomplished a life long goal...Friday she received her high school diploma after dropping out as a junior to take care of a newborn Michael. McSpadden said he was motivated to complete high school to honor her son and the journey to completion began when she met Art McCoy, the superintendent for the Jennings School District, which educates students in the Ferguson area that also provides adult high school programs. According to McSpadden, enrolling in the program gave her a reason to feel positive again, a feeling she hasn't been able to enjoy since before her son was murdered almost 3 years ago. Jana Loftis, the teacher who worked with McSpadden throughout the program, had this to say about her situation, "We don't ask to be put in the positions we are put in, sometimes they just come upon us and put a halt on our world. Ms. McSpadden is the type of person that took a really challenging situation and became determined to make the best of it." McSpadden had this to say about Michael being her motivation, "I know that he's been my angel through this all and I know that he's proud of me." Brief thought: Salute to her and major congratulations on accomplishing a life long goal of hers, honoring the memory of her son, and also being a good example of not allowing a tragic or negative situation hold you down. It's super easy to get stuck in a bad situation and think that there's no way out. Like I previously stated in no way do our situations and circumstances compare, but this blog is actually the direct result of me trying to take a negative and turn it into something positive. I don't remember if I mentioned it outright on here, so fun fact about me, I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, as well as chronic depression. I was in a place earlier this year where I was very depressed and I experienced reoccurring debilitating anxiety attacks. I remember I had an anxiety attack that was so bad that I thought I was going to die. A thought about something that was going on in my life came to mind and it affected me so bad that I was sitting on my couch, I burst into tears, I couldn't breathe, it felt like somebody was choking literally the life out of me, and there's absolutely nothing that you can do until it passes. I told some of my friends how bad my mental health had gotten, but I didn't tell my family, because I thought they wouldn't take me seriously, and I also don't think they fully understand mental illness. During this time I was so depressed and so anxious, that I never wanted to leave my house, I withdrew from the people around me, I couldn't go to work, I couldn't sleep, and 1 day out of the blue, something kept nagging @ me, telling me that I should create a blog of all things. I had a couple of passing thoughts about creating a blog, but it was never something that I thought I was going to act upon. Fast forward a couple of months and here we are. My blog gives me joy that I hadn't felt in a long time, it gives me a purpose, it gives me a reason to want to wake up in the morning, it gives me a mental distraction from the bs that I have to live with in my day to day life which is helpful to my overall mental health. So, my story is completely different from hers, but the will to want to change where you are in life is the same no matter who you are or what you go through. UPDATE #3
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ORIGINAL POST 3 officers involved in the murder of Freddie Gray are now facing termination after an internal investigation determined administrative violations had been committed in their handling of his death. Sergeant Alicia White, Lieutenant Brian Rice, the supervising officer on duty, and Officer Caesar Goodson have all been suspended, and are facing the possibility of being fired. Officers Edward Nero and Garrett Miller, who were also involved in Freddie's arrest that ultimately led to his murder, face suspension without pay for a couple of days. No internal charges have been filed against Officer Willam Porter, who received the only manslaughter charge for Freddie's death. White, Rice, and Goodson have the option to contest the findings of the investigation by requesting a disciplinary trial board. For those that don't remember or haven't been paying attention:
Brief thought: This may be viewed as a potential victory to some, but to me, I just don't view this as a victory. This young man lost his life in a very violent manner and the only thing that's going to happen to these officers is them being fired? Somebody else out there in this world will hire them because they won't care about what they did to contribute to the death of this young man. Or they'll receive some sort of compensation, benefits, or pension from the police department. Nothing short of being locked away forever will be good enough punishment for contributing to this man's death. #blacklivesmatter #sayhisname |
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