Breaking Point: Police Racism And The Hate That Hate Produced

Darren Wilson — Michael Brown’s killer; triggered Ferguson disasters

[Speaking Truth To Power]

This week as protests continue, against yet another police killing of an unarmed Black boy in Wisconsin, two police officers were shot early Thursday morning in front of the Ferguson Police Department during a protest against police.

In the face of mass frustrations with police abuse —which is now leading to attacks on cops— will federal and state officials step in much more forcefully?

The shootings happened around midnight, several hours after it was announced that Police Chief Thomas Jackson would be resigning —and as the fallout continues from the recent scathing Justice Department report which highlighted the racist nature of the Ferguson municipal government which was balancing the budget on the backs of Black people with bogus tickets and citations.

In the shooting, two officers were hit outside the station —by a person still unknown— as people continue to protest for the overhaul of the Ferguson Police Department which has three Black officers on a force of 50.

One officer was shot in the shoulder— another received a bullet to the face, which is reportedly lodged behind his ear. Both have been released from the hospital.

The shootings of these police officers also occurred as protests rocked Madison, Wisconsin due to last Friday’s shooting of a 19-year-old Black boy named Tony Robinson.

In this incident, Wisconsin Police claim Officer Matt Kenny shot Robinson after, allegedly, being hit in the head, as the officer attempt to arrest Robinson inside his home.

According to Police Chief Mike Koval, Officer Kenny was responding to calls of a man dodging cars in traffic —and who had, allegedly, assaulted someone. Once on the scene, Officer Kenny reportedly followed Robinson into an apartment where the deadly encounter unfolded.

Many questions remain to be answered here.

Did this officer have the legal justification to enter into the residence where Mr. Robinson was ultimately killed? The Wisconsin Police must tell us something substantive about the nature of the alleged assault Robinson supposedly committed.

Was this assault serious enough to justify Officer Kenny’s pursuit into the apartment?

It reminds of the case in New York where an officer Richard Haste also followed a young Black man, Ramarley Graham, broke into his house and shot him dead; that officer was not indicted.

In addition to always carrying their smart phones, and trying never to be alone, young Black males must now instal cameras in their homes.

Time and again, we hear of story after story where police kill unarmed Black males all across America—including the Monday killing of an unarmed, naked, man in Atlanta. Ironically, the deceased here was 27-year-old Anthony Hill a veteran of the US Air Force, who, was, apparently suffering from mental problems. What weapon was the White officer fearful of here?

Apparently, those who wield political power are not very concerned about the lives of Black people—especially, if they are young Black men. Where the is the justice for those young African American males being brutalized by brutes with badges? We are now hearing denunciations against those who shot Ferguson police officers; which is the correct thing.

Yet, we must hear similar official outrage against those who use their power to tyrannize and murder African Americans. Is no one to be held responsible, ever, for the crimes being committed against Black America? Are the lives of unarmed Black males less valuable than those of men in uniforms?

It’’s surely true the Justice Department’s recent report exposing the racist local government in Ferguson is causing heads to roll;  the continuing fallout from last summer’s killing of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson. Police Chief Jackson, City Manager John Shaw and Judge Ronald Brockmeyer have now all resigned.

Mayor James Knowles needs to be booted as well.

Does the mayor think he can just do some cosmetic window-dressing to rectify the cesspool of corruption in the city he is supposed to be running? Are we to believe he was oblivious to all the charges being made in the report by the department of Justice?

Is he pretending he knew nothing, or and heard nothing, about the fact that the court, and police he oversees rigged ticketing schemes, to balance the city budget on the backs of African Americans?

There are only two possibilities here: Either this mayor is a hopelessly out-of-touch and incompetent official, or he is an abominable liar.

Neither of these possibilities encourages confidence in the mayor’s leadership and the people of Ferguson must do everything in their power to replace Mayor Knowles.

The Ferguson Police Department, and the municipal government, need a through housecleaning —top to bottom.

What does it tell us when the courts and cops are working in cahoots to steal money from people they should be serving? The most marginalized and economically disadvantaged community in Ferguson, whose unemployment level was at 17% while for the White population was 8%.

The situation in Ferguson is a disgusting example of abuse of power—and the Black people in Ferguson, and around Missouri, need to use political pressure to challenge the systemic corruption and racism.

The immediate thing the authorities must do is recompose the Ferguson police department away from it’s apartheid structure overnight. We can’t have three Black officers on a police force of 50 in a majority population jurisdiction like Ferguson.

Moreover, African Americans in Missouri need to make sure politicians who have benefited from their votes pay a political price. Here we should revisit the treacherous actions of Democrats like Governor Jay Nixon and Senator Claire McCaskill. These were political cowards.

Governor Nixon decided not to recuse Bob McCulloch from the grand jury process and the die for a non-indictment was cast. Are we to believe this governor didn’t know what would be the certain outcome—with someone like McCulloch running the grand jury?

Or, did he make a political calculation that he felt safer selling out the Black residents of Ferguson—rather than taking a strong stand because he would be attacked by the racists of his state?

The Justice Department report reflects badly on this area in the governor’s state; so if we are to question the credibility of Mayor Knowles, then, the integrity of Governor Nixon must also be questioned.

Governor Nixon wasn’t aware of any of these racist practices in Ferguson? Was his office never notified of these things by any of his constituents?

The same questions must be asked of Senator McCaskill as well. Is she so removed from the corrupt occurrences in her state because of her duties in Washington? Or, are the concerns of African Americans just a low priority on her totem pole?

The brutality and murder of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police must be met with maximum political pressure and maximum political retribution.

From Ferguson to Wisconsin, we must continue to march, protest—and become more politically active, and organize, to create change in these corrupt city governments.

Unlike Ferguson’s departing Chief Jackson, Wisconsin Police Chief Mike Koval has been far less tone-deaf for the most part in his handling of the Tony Robinson killing. He’s made overtures such as praying with the Robinson family after the killing. Also, the Wisconsin Police’s reaction has not been as brutally militaristic as was the Ferguson Police’s to crowd reaction after the killing of Michael Brown.

This tactic in Wisconsin is wise—given the fact that frustration is now leading to the targeting of White police officers in the streets, which attorney general Eric Holder strongly condemned.

Officials have understandably denounced those who opened fire on the officers in Ferguson. But if they don’t at the same time acknowledge and diffuse the explosive undercurrents that now prevail –since the acquittal of pretend policeman George Zimmerman who killed Trayvon Martin; the non indictments of Officers Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo; and the more recent shootings– things could get out of hand.

In the aftermath of the shooting of the Ferguson officers politicians will talk about the need for people to remain “peaceful.”

This message must also be directed at police officers who trample, daily, on the constitutional and human rights of Black people.

Graham, Martin, Brown, and Garner and many others were all the victims of racial profiling.

Unfortunately, because political leaders have remained indifferent to the oppression faced by Black America, this is the volatile state of affairs we now find ourselves mired in.

And it’s not even summer yet.