There is never an excuse for violence or looting. Unfortunately, there are some people that take advantage of a bad situation for their gain. But I understand the hurt and frustration that the peaceful protesters are going through. I understand because I can empathize because all black people in this country share common experiences. In my lifetime I have:
1. Watched as two cops beat three handcuffed black teenagers to a bloody pulp with their clubs. The beating commenced after they had peacefully surrendered to the arrest and were handcuffed.
2. Had someone in the dorms at Texas Tech glue cotton to the bottom of the door and post a sign saying "Pick this N-word."
3. Pulled over in Van Zandt County, TX and questioned for 20 minutes about why I was driving with a white woman in the car.
4. Been caught in a "Sundown" town outside of Houston, TX and been terrified as I was chased by racists for no reason.
5. Had my daughter come home from school sad and crying because a girl at school had told her she could not play with black kids because her mom had told her "blacks were dirty and not to touch them."
6. Pulled over west of Midland and questioned by a highway patrolman for 15 minutes about why I had a nice car.
7. Followed around a Dillard's for 15 minutes straight by a white security guard. I will not shop at a Dillard's again. I found it ironic a guy making $10 an hour was worried a black guy was going to steal something. I make $140,000 per year.
8. Went to buy my wife a new Honda Pilot a few years back. I have pristine credit. Honda tried to charge me 13% interest. I told them they were crazy and financed it with my bank for .9%. A few months later Honda paid a fine for intentionally charging prime black borrowers higher interest rates.
9. Been told "We don't hire black people" when trying to get a job as a teen.
10. Had KKK rallies held in my hometown of Tyler, TX
11. Been told by Idaho residents to not go on a fishing trip to Idaho because it would not be safe for me because of the level of racism.
12. Had to listen for years and years as white people complained about historically black colleges and universities. Never admitting the reason they even exist is because black people could not attend historically white colleges and universities until the 1960's or so.
I could go on and on. Sadly, this experience is not unique to me. It is a common shared experience in this nation. I am not talking about stuff from the 1940s or 1950s. I wasn't born until 1974. This is stuff happening in contemporary times.
This situation in Ferguson saddens me because so many people have a complete inability to show any sympathy for the black protesters. To hear people on this message board say the "Thug got what he deserved" or "The world is better off without him" is horrible. In what world is it justifiable to kill a person while their hands are in the air surrendering? By the way, "Thug" is the new N-word. People use thug now instead of the N-word because it is more sanitary and acceptable.
A poster on this message board said the "black people won't do what it takes to become police officers." Translation, "black people are lazy." Well I just watched the former mayor of Ferguson interviewed this morning. He was asked about the lack of black officers in Ferguson. His response was "We have plenty of black officers go through the academy and graduate. However, they leave for bigger cities because they are in demand."
So who should I believe? The poster that assumes blacks are lazy from afar or the mayor that actually lives in Ferguson and controlled the police force? The point is that the poster, and many like him, has these negative perceptions of black people that prevent him from even remotely considering anything positive.
I make $140,000 per year. I have my undergrad from Tech, an MBA from UT, and an MPA from Penn State. I have pristine credit. I have been married to my wife for 16 years. We have an 11 year old daughter. I have never been arrested. I don't do drugs. I don't even drink. But none of that keeps cops from harassing me.
At some point people get fed up and say enough is enough. I believe this is what is going on in Ferguson. That doesn't excuse the people that loot and destroy property. That cannot be justified. However, the peaceful protestors are just like me. They have spent their entire lives being black in this country and that is not always an easy thing to do. Of course, there are those that believe black people have all the advantages in this country. "Reverse racism" is the scourge of the nation, and must be eradicated.
1. Watched as two cops beat three handcuffed black teenagers to a bloody pulp with their clubs. The beating commenced after they had peacefully surrendered to the arrest and were handcuffed.
2. Had someone in the dorms at Texas Tech glue cotton to the bottom of the door and post a sign saying "Pick this N-word."
3. Pulled over in Van Zandt County, TX and questioned for 20 minutes about why I was driving with a white woman in the car.
4. Been caught in a "Sundown" town outside of Houston, TX and been terrified as I was chased by racists for no reason.
5. Had my daughter come home from school sad and crying because a girl at school had told her she could not play with black kids because her mom had told her "blacks were dirty and not to touch them."
6. Pulled over west of Midland and questioned by a highway patrolman for 15 minutes about why I had a nice car.
7. Followed around a Dillard's for 15 minutes straight by a white security guard. I will not shop at a Dillard's again. I found it ironic a guy making $10 an hour was worried a black guy was going to steal something. I make $140,000 per year.
8. Went to buy my wife a new Honda Pilot a few years back. I have pristine credit. Honda tried to charge me 13% interest. I told them they were crazy and financed it with my bank for .9%. A few months later Honda paid a fine for intentionally charging prime black borrowers higher interest rates.
9. Been told "We don't hire black people" when trying to get a job as a teen.
10. Had KKK rallies held in my hometown of Tyler, TX
11. Been told by Idaho residents to not go on a fishing trip to Idaho because it would not be safe for me because of the level of racism.
12. Had to listen for years and years as white people complained about historically black colleges and universities. Never admitting the reason they even exist is because black people could not attend historically white colleges and universities until the 1960's or so.
I could go on and on. Sadly, this experience is not unique to me. It is a common shared experience in this nation. I am not talking about stuff from the 1940s or 1950s. I wasn't born until 1974. This is stuff happening in contemporary times.
This situation in Ferguson saddens me because so many people have a complete inability to show any sympathy for the black protesters. To hear people on this message board say the "Thug got what he deserved" or "The world is better off without him" is horrible. In what world is it justifiable to kill a person while their hands are in the air surrendering? By the way, "Thug" is the new N-word. People use thug now instead of the N-word because it is more sanitary and acceptable.
A poster on this message board said the "black people won't do what it takes to become police officers." Translation, "black people are lazy." Well I just watched the former mayor of Ferguson interviewed this morning. He was asked about the lack of black officers in Ferguson. His response was "We have plenty of black officers go through the academy and graduate. However, they leave for bigger cities because they are in demand."
So who should I believe? The poster that assumes blacks are lazy from afar or the mayor that actually lives in Ferguson and controlled the police force? The point is that the poster, and many like him, has these negative perceptions of black people that prevent him from even remotely considering anything positive.
I make $140,000 per year. I have my undergrad from Tech, an MBA from UT, and an MPA from Penn State. I have pristine credit. I have been married to my wife for 16 years. We have an 11 year old daughter. I have never been arrested. I don't do drugs. I don't even drink. But none of that keeps cops from harassing me.
At some point people get fed up and say enough is enough. I believe this is what is going on in Ferguson. That doesn't excuse the people that loot and destroy property. That cannot be justified. However, the peaceful protestors are just like me. They have spent their entire lives being black in this country and that is not always an easy thing to do. Of course, there are those that believe black people have all the advantages in this country. "Reverse racism" is the scourge of the nation, and must be eradicated.
