White privilege confession time: In my budding years as a soon-to-be social justice advocate, I was a bit wrapped up in my own problems to really step outside of my shell and listen to black activists as they described repeated patterns of police brutality. Then Ferguson happened. I didn’t quite hit #BLM mode right away, but I started to pay attention, and by now I have seen the absurd double standard enough to securely say “fuck you in your fucking idiotic skull” if you’re a Blue Lives Matter type.
A five year-old. Police shot a five year-old, while he was in his mother’s arms.
Three officers with the Baltimore County police arrived at Korryn Gaines’s apartment around 9:20 a.m. on Monday to serve warrants to her as well as a man who also resided there.
The man was wanted on an assault charge, while Gaines, 23, had an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court after a traffic violation in March.
According to police, no one responded to 10 minutes of door knocking, even though they could hear several people inside. When officers obtained a key to the apartment, they found Gaines sitting on the floor — her 5-year-old son was wrapped in one of her arms. In her other hand was a shotgun.
Seems like the endless patience police have for deescalation vanishes in a puff of smoke when the shooter is black.
If that kid were white, the negotiations would’ve lasted for days.
#BlackLivesMatter. #SayHerName.
-Shiv
Multiple shootings and murders of non-white people by cops have happened in the same month that William Bruce Ray was arrested alive after shooting multiple bullets at cops. The cops made the extra effort to physically restrain him without causing injury.
I’m in the same shameful boat. It would be hard to me to refute claims that my new found concern and respect for others and their rights is only out of concern for myself after starting to transition. I just hope people agree that changing one’s attitudes and actions is the important thing.