May 30th, 2018… I wrote the following statement: “Hey ‘america:’ – Amazing how you do not want us to ‘protest’ against corruption, injustice, inequality, racism. Yet, you feel it is fine for you maintain corrupt leadership, continue to allow injustice, inequality to run rampant and feel emboldened to express racist thinking, promote racism as this is the way it will be. No, this will no longer be the way it will be and your reign soon will be at an end. Your rapture and reckoning comes soon.”
On May 30th, 2020 I started writing this blog. So much has happened in this time period, I needed time to process all of this emotionally and mentally before writing my thoughts down. Even in professed rage and profound pain, I have work under control with progress and purpose in my heart, my mind. Two years later, the pain is real. This pain has been ongoing for 400 years now. This injustice has been in existence since 1619 to current day. It is past time for real justice, real reform, real policy changes. We need only look at the ongoing unrest now occurring in multiple cities to see a rapture and reckoning is taking place by society. The protest demands have spread into an international call for action, change, justice and policy reform. This can no longer be ignored suppressed as isolated events and denied.
The demands by the people, for the people – must be addressed and the corruption, injustice, racism, socioeconomic inequity running rampant must cease. The problem with this society, many only pay attention to the corruption, injustice, racism, socioeconomic inequity as tips of icebergs floating above the ocean surface. They want to minimize this down to isolated instances. The reality – millions of people have been swimming in this icy cold ocean water of corruption, injustice, institutionalized racism, socioeconomic inequity for the past four to five generations. This pain is not an isolated issue. This pain exists on a systemic level extending back to the beginning of this nation state.
This nation state never has fully taken accountability, ownership for exactly how it began its existence. Those in power, those who benefited from being a part in the creation of this power base do not want to have this uncomfortable truth told of all done to create this nation state. They only want the sections or segments of history told which keep them in a positive light. They want it to remain this way even if the painful truth is suppressed in darkness. Today, in this current era – the truth is coming to light from their centuries of suppression. This truth is moving like a mighty earthquake rupturing the earth apart. This socioeconomic earthquake is exposing the damage caused by the corruption, injustice, institutionalized racism and socioeconomic inequity which built this nation state on faulty foundations since its inception.
To understand the effects of the current crisis, you need to have the full history of the affects of the corruption, injustice, institutional racism, socioeconomic inequity which has been running rampant in this nation state since 1619. In 1619, people from other civilizations invaded this already inhabited land, claiming it has their own colony. This was the first injustice committed. The second injustice committed was those who invaded this already inhabited land they forcibly brought millions of men and women from the continent of Africa to then build this nation by their demands. Their demands were met utilizing physical, psychological torture inflicted with brutal force on both the enslaved workforce and the native indigenous population. This was the third injustice committed. For the native indigenous population the level of brutality and injustice inflicted upon them forced them to choose three options: assimilation, forced migration into reservations and or death. The fourth injustice existed in the brutality and injustice inflicted on people of color who were forcibly brought here as an enslaved workforce caused unspeakable pain and trauma for 246 years. This brutality and injustice continued for other 100 years where this nation state society existed as a segregated society. Due to all the four levels of injustice inflicted causing the genocide of the native indigenous population and the suppression of an enslaved workforce – this nation state quickly rose into a developed nation state whose morality compass was greatly off center. This off center compass allowed those in control of this nation to steer this nation state to enjoy the inalienable rights of justice life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness solely for their development, their well being, their prosperity. For the indigenous people and people of color they have been subjected to corruption, injustice, institutional racism and socioeconomic discrimination for over 400 years.
The events of the deaths of Breyonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, George Floyd in Minnesota, Manuel Ellis in Washington State are just four this year alone. Each death more painful than the last. Each senseless killing leaving the painful traumatic wounds of both pointless death due to excessive police brutality and a lack justice rendered has created this social justice earthquake to unleash itself. Combine these deaths with the deaths of Philando Castile of Minnesota, Eric Garner of New York, Sandra Bland of Texas, Tamir Rice of Ohio, Trayvon Martin of Florida with all historical accounts of systemic injustice and oppression tactics causing over 4,000 people to become ‘Strange Fruit’ hanging from this nation’s historical trees of evil, injustice all have become compound interests points of emotional, historical, physical, psychological trauma. This over 400 year cycle of ongoing trauma has caused the social justice earthquake which has opened up the painful historical debt of which this nation state has never fully compensated its citizens with the payment of justice.
‘america’ – We, the People will no longer accept your lack of corrective measures nor indifference to make justice a reality. No longer will we be subjected to this corruption, injustice, racism, socioeconomic inequity. We will no longer wait for compassionate speeches with minimal to no real reform. This is our time to be heard and you have no choice to listen. You have held us captive for your gain since 1619 to current day. Now we will hold you captive by our relentless fight for civil rights equality, justice for all and true socioeconomic reform. Just has you held us down, wrestled us into submission to comply by force since 1619, we are now turning this conflict back around for the demanding sake of justice and the end of this suppressive tyranny you have subjected us for 400 years. We the People will not rest nor yield in this pursuit of justice, reform is realized.
Now we move from the position of riot to reform, protest to policy. Know this ‘america’ – you are on notice. We will not cease in our nonviolent protests until we have real justice, real reform. We are not going to be lulled into a pacified state going back to business as usual just because of a few speeches and incremental legislation you think will quell our thirst for justice and reform. Quite the contrary, we are fully committed, actively engaged and focused on real justice, real reform. We will secure this justice, this reform by any means necessary just has you used all means necessary at your disposal to create this nation state by your hands. Just be hopeful, prayful, thankful we are working towards seeking justice and not seeking revenge.
Those who committed acts of injustice, acts of police brutality and misconduct will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Those who committed these acts of police brutality, police misconduct must and should be held accountable to a higher standard. They are supposed to be trained to the highest standard which allows them to ‘protect and serve.’ This training does not give them the right to be the state sanctioned executioners of summary judgment who feel they can violate the constitutional rights of due process, right to a trial by jury and violate human rights by inflicting brutality and use lethal force without any reciprocity for their actions. Everyday citizens are subject to the same laws towards each other everyday and suffer the penalty for both violating the laws and violating human rights as well. Law enforcement is no different than the rest of society. There cannot be any separation of justice if we truly say we live in a equal, just society. It is time the axe of justice to fall on the necks of injustice.
This reform for justice and the elimination of injustice must happen from by concise reform by the federal government criminal justice legislation. This reform criminal justice legislation must be mandated to be followed and implemented by all fifty states and commonwealth territories. This reform criminal legislation must and will address police brutality, injustice and misconduct. This reform will mandate strict regulations for uniform law enforcement policy and procedures of which all state and local law enforcement agencies will adhere to those federal guidelines and statutes. This federal government criminal justice legislation will fall under the jurisdiction of United States Department of Justice in terms of both accreditation for federal funding and implementation supervision of this legislation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation working with the State Bureau of Investigation, State Attorney General Office will take the lead in all investigations of use of deadly force regarding police conduct and procedures. This reform will mandate local citizen review boards established city government municipalities who will work closely with local law enforcement agencies to ensure all police conduct and procedures ensure all conduct and procedures ensure both the safety of its citizens and their constitutional rights are protected. If these reforms are not both enacted and enforced – local and state law enforcement agencies will lose their federal and state government accreditation and funding. Those found in violation of both police procedures and violations of use of lethal force in the performance of their duties will be subject to criminal charges, arrested for violating the law as an everyday citizen and answer for their criminal charge in front of a jury in the court of law. Everyday citizens are held to the standard of the law. This same standard of the law needs to apply to and towards law enforcement.
Enough political rhetoric and talk. It is time for practical policy and time for justice. This also mandates citizens stand up together and demand their elected policymakers from the local and level government up to the federal government are elected and tasked to ensure this work is done on their mandated behalf. I use the term policymakers instead of politicians for a reason. We need to get policymakers and public policy administrators into the working mechanics of local, state and federal government. Enough of the politicians who are partly responsible for this mess in the first place. We, the People are equally responsible for our apathy and indifference to allow this injustice to go unchecked this long. It is time for this embattled nation to truly live by the words “Justice for All.” We, the People will not rest nor waiver until “Justice for All” is achieved and sustained by just policies and procedures. It is time for the axe of justice to strike down on the necks of injustice.
