Do you feel it? That sense of having been here before? Think about it. For the second time in as many years, a jury in Florida has determined the life of a young Black man is worthless. Stand your ground once again prevails as a defenseless young man is cut down with nothing in his hand. Instead of a grown man defying orders to stay in the car, this grown man decided to shoot up a car of Black teenagers, wounding three and killing one. I’m beginning to believe that every young Black male should leave Florida immediately and not return until middle age. I, for one, have advised my 19 year old son to go no further southeast than Georgia.
As I sit here once again stunned by the travesty of justice that continue to be be perpetuated in Florida since the election debacle of 2000, I’m waiting to hear the voices of indignation from the so-called leaders of the Black community. I’m waiting to hear the screams of Black mothers rising like steam into the atmosphere. I’m waiting to hear the roars of fathers defending their sons. I’m waiting. And what I hear is the silent resignation of a people who have been let down by the justice system we proclaim to be the greatest in the world. The silent acceptance that the scales of justice are not only not balanced but blatantly tilted in favor of the individuals whose actions tell us every day that we will never be allowed to achieve the American dream. The silent resignation that says you may have the presidency (and it’s temporary) but we have the judges, juries, defense and prosecution. The silent resignation that daily tells me and mine that I have never been nor will I ever be treated like equal in my lifetime in this country.
At the end of the week, churches will ask that we pray for the families. Clergy will ask us to forgive Dunn and trust that God will punish him. When Dunn us sentenced, Davis' parents will be asked whether they believe justice has been served. The pundits will weigh in with their summary of what happened. The members of Dunn's family along with members of the Dunn jury and Dunn himself will be asked if they think justice was fair. But Jordan Davis will be another footnote in the history books. His death will become the scab of another wound inflicted upon Black people in this country.<br>
<br>It's always been said that justice is blind. I would submit that Lady Justice is far from blind. She sees exactly what she wants to see and who she wants to see when she peaks beneath her blindfold. Unfortunately she remembers to pull down that blindfold when your skin is Black.
"Stand your ground" is the new "whip" to contain minorities who have exited the plantation without a permission slip. During the Trayvon Martin 'event' black mothers and fathers did create a huge uproar that became muted in the Halls of Justice. The uproar needs to come too from white mothers and fathers who stand for justice and realize "Stand your ground" is not American exceptionalism, rather it is American bigotry.
ReplyDeleteMy mother taught the Golden Rule to us a long time ago and this is how it happened. This was during the 60's when the social upheaval was at it's presumed height. We lived in the shadows of Wrigley Field when that was a horrible, gang infested neighborhood to live in. I asked her why the neighborhoods burned when Dr. king was assassinated? Why did all of the black people hate us white people? Why was there so much violence just outside our door? The war/police action in Vietnam was raging in '68 and the fabric of society was tearing. She explained about how the world was and I remember asking her why was I born white? She told me that I could have easily been born somewhere else to another mother and father maybe even in another country. She asked me to think about how I would react when if I was the one whom the dogs were sicked on, who was the victim of a lynch mob or some other uncounted atrocity. I began to cry that I wouldn't like that at all! Then she said the best thing she could have ever said. "Don't do that to anyone else then. If you see it, stop it." It seemed so very simple to the child that I was. Indeed it is simple and my mother had the ability to clarify the hardest and most complex situations so that a 9 year old could understand. The 14th anniversary of my mothers death will be upon us shortly so my siblings and father will go out for out remembrance dinner to celebrate her life but more importantly, to celebrate the lives that she molded for us, the ones that we live today. I'm sure that Jordan and Trayvon's mother loved their sons like mine did to me and I cannot imagine the pain of their loss. We need more mothers like Jordon, Trayvon and mine.
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