When a man chooses to live a life devoted to selfishness and greed, eventually others learn that he has no value. When that man decides that he wants to be the President of the United States he allows his entire history to become transparent. Donald John Trump is known as the “most hated man in the world,” a title he has earned over the last 40 months. Today, the White House is under protest after Trump ignored the murder of another black man by a member of law enforcement.
Contrary to Trump, his failed party, and his cult, the orange buffoon has accomplished nothing while claiming the title of president. What he has done by executive order or with the aid of Moscow Mitch McConnell resulted in negative effects for our nation and our people, unless you are wealthy or the CEO of a large corporation. The same important issues which faced Trump on January 20, 2017 exist today, and one of those issues is racism and its extreme, white supremacy.
If you read or are foolish enough to watch television “news,” you are aware that protests and riots are occurring across our nation this weekend. Last Tuesday a black man, George Floyd, was murdered by a Minneapolis policeman. Fires are burning throughout the city, including the arson of one police station.
Black men and women are frequently murdered by law enforcement, what makes this event more explosive? I believe that this is “the final straw which broke the camel’s back.”
From the time I was in high school in the early 1960’s I remember hearing or reading about the mistreatment of black Americans by law enforcement. My black friends forced me to see reality with tales from their own neighborhoods. When physical harm resulted in death by cop, not a single member of law enforcement was ever punished.
Black America is finished with peaceful marches; they are demanding action or else.
I will never condone violence; violence arises from extreme anger and hatred and these emotions remove intelligent thought and action. However, I must look at this situation from the view of black men, women, and children.
They have been victims of racism for centuries. When the men and women who swore to “serve and protect” them turn against them, their rights as citizens become non-existent. Consider this: when the coronavirus invaded America, blacks families, who are mostly impoverished or low income, were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and their president failed to protect them, this added additional anger and distrust within the black community.
The Constitution promises the same rights to everyone including equal treatment under the law. Our current government and too many members of law enforcement do not consider minorities as equals and treat them differently than whites.
If Dr. Martin Luther King were still alive, and had witnessed the horrific events of the last 40 years firsthand, I often wonder if he would continue to believe that only peaceful protests accomplish goals.
Consider this: have the many protests after mass shootings in America produced action by our government? The same is true for minorities: congress and your illegitimate president are not listening to either group.
Another question: what would white people do if the situation was reversed? You know the answer.
No man or woman who lives in America and continues to watch their race: their brothers and sisters: abused and murdered in our nation’s streets will sit and do nothing forever.
Our justice system needs a complete overhaul. The rich are never punished equally for their crimes, while the poor and minorities often receive excessive sentences for the same crimes. As long as the courts and law enforcement agree that punishment is priority number one and rehabilitation an afterthought, America will continue to have overcrowded prisons. The United States has four percent of the world’s population, and 25 percent of those incarcerated.
It won’t surprise you to learn that more minorities are imprisoned than whites considering population percentages.
Would you protest if all these factors applied to you?
Op-ed by James Turnage
Photo courtesy of GPA Photo Archive
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