America’s
Black Eye on Civil Rights
AMERICA FOUGHT FOR ITS
CIVIL RIGHTS-For many citizens of America, whenever the term Civil Rights is
referenced, it may bring images of Black people stirring up trouble in America. It appears that any reference to Civil Rights
causes many other American citizens to run the other way, irrespective of the
fact that the rights that Blacks fought for, and continue to fight for, and are
gradually loosing, are just as important to the greater population as it is to
People of Color. In the commemoration of
Black History, we often want to speak to the achievements of those who have
contributed to the greatness that is America, who, but for the fact that they
were of color, were strategically overlooked, or disregarded for their
contributions.
When we speak of Civil
Rights and Black History, it would appear as though Blacks were/are the only
class of people who fought/fight for Civil Rights. How soon America forgets
when this country was reportedly founded on the basis of Civil Rights in its
breaking away from Great Britain. So, when People of Color fought for their Civil Rights, after the
first violation of their initial Civil Rights through slavery, the idea that
former slaves would be benefiting from America’s hard-fought achievement in the
breaking away from Great Britain, would seem to have been a no-brainer, in
theory, per the Constitution of the United States, where all people, are
created equal, regardless of race, creed or color, and are entitled to their
Civil Rights. Well, not so fast! Send in the police!
BLACKS STILL FIGHT FOR
CIVIL RIGHTS-In this annual recognition of Black History, 2014BHR, it would
seem that we would be re-missed if we did not discuss, in brief, the role that
our police agencies have played, and continue to play regarding the importance
of Civil Rights for all Americans. America’s history, with respect to People of Color’s fight for
Civil Rights, will no doubt, be gradually altered, and will hardly reflect on
the role that police officers played in the denial of Civil Rights, based on
race. Through the years, as
America’s remaining history may show, police officers were used by governmental
entities to ensure that People of Color could not have access to the most basic
of needs (water from a fountain, bathrooms, sitting on a bus, or eating in
restaurants). Thank God, those days are no longer in play,
theoretically. But there is still a
problem, and here it is: Police Brutality.
PROCEDURAL
INJUSTICE-Police departments have for so long been practically given complete
autonomy in the role of suppressing People of Color’s intent to secure Civil
Rights, that now it appears to be procedural policies, throughout our
nation. In furtherance of that autonomy, Police Officers act as
their own justice system to investigate, and to hold accountable, where
applicable, those officers who are accused of misbehavior as law enforcement
officers. It appears to be so procedural, that District Attorneys are slow
to press charges against our police officers, necessitating, where financially
possible, for citizens to seek justice outside of their communities. Police Brutality appears to be so procedural,
that practically any exchange between police officers and People of Color could
result in an unintended consequence of up to and including, what would have
been just an arrest on any given day, deadly force for many of People of
Color’s sons. And more often than not,
it is deemed to be justified. Where
possible, and often immediately available, the victim’s police record, however
slight (stopped for speeding, disturbing the peace), or great (juvenile
detention 20 years prior, burglary conviction, 10 years prior) becomes the
first justification of dismissiveness towards the value of their lives. Whether by intent or design, it appears that the
constant loss of lives of at the hands of police officers throughout America is
procedural, and seemingly, insignificant when it comes to young men of color.
“I FEARED FOR MY LIFE”-Police
Brutality has taken a new low in Black History, and while many of us will sit
idly by while it continues to weave itself in and out of the Criminal Justice
System or the Federal Justice System, we can take solace in the fact that all
previous efforts to acquire full Civil Rights are like Elvis (Presley), and
that is, those rights have just about left the building. To all of our Political leaders, whomever you
are, please, remain quiet, as many of our police officers appear to be more
armed than ever with full malice, and will hereby be justified in their course
of action when the life of an unarmed Black male is taken. Vis-a-vie: “I feared for my life!”
“I feared for my life”,
will continue to be the rallying cry for many of our police officers, whether
the suspect is armed, thought to be armed, or thinking about being armed. “I feared for my life” will be the measure of
justice more often than not, for young black male victims, shot to death more
frequently as a result of lawfully approved actions of “stop and frisk”, that
all too often, go wrong. Many of our Black males
are shot to death, irrespective of their GPA or their volunteer status. Black males, all too often are shot to death,
irrespective of their fatherly status, their collegiate status, their financial
status, or better yet, their innocent status. This measure of justice, even when
reasonably justified, will eventually be the measure of the entire law
enforcement community. Where potentially for all of our police officers,
anything, or anyone that moves, maybe cause to shoot to kill, and the defining
defense will be from this day forth: “I feared for my life”.
LET’S NOT BE
CONFUSED-Let us not confuse Crime fighting with the suppression of Civil
Rights. The two are distinctly
different, and here is how: Crime fighting activities place many of our police officers at
risk of their lives, everyday, from the moment they wear the uniform. At any minute, they could be put into a
life or death situation, and when their training kicks in, they will be trusted
to act according to that training, regardless of the perpetrator’s background,
race, creed or color.
Conversely, the
suppression or denial of anyone’s Civil Rights, is a violation of the United
States Constitution. When a police officer or
any member of the Criminal Justice Division of our country, uses its office to
exercise hatred by denying any reasonable action in the name of the law, we
have a violation of Civil Rights. When an officer suspends the vital training
that they are believed to be fortified from their departments, and acts above
the law for their own agenda, crime fighting is no longer an issue.
ALTERNATIVES TO POLICE
BRUTALITY- There are alternatives to Police Brutality and the reputation that
it imposes on the police agencies and many of the great and honorable police
officers who swore to protect and to serve their communities. But our cities and our governments are
content to allow a select few officers to bust their budgets, investigating
“bad shoots”, and/or civil lawsuits against accusations of Police Brutality,
rather than doing more to fully screen for police officers whose agendas seek
to satisfy hatred, instead of building
positive community relations within all communities. But to take that approach by our local, state
and federal governments would suggest that Civil Rights is too valuable a
commodity to allow for all of their citizens to enjoy, so let those who best
exemplify the underlying intent to suppress Civil Rights, roam free, and do so
as they will, armed with their rallying cry: “I feared for my life!”
TO PROTECT TO SERVE-To
the many fine officers who so nobly wear the badge throughout our various
communities, continue to stand down, while those among you take aim, not just
at the bodies that are of color, but subsequently, at the Civil Rights of all
Americans. Many of those Americans
are your families, interracially, by blood, by marriage, by religion, by
communities, by fraternities or sororities, and if by nothing else, by
God. To those of you who are
police officers, who are above the dishonoring of your Sworn Oaths, you have as
much of an obligation to stand toe-to-toe with the injustices from within your
departments, as quickly as you are to take down the criminals on the street who
just stole that little old-lady’s purse. Otherwise, it will be you, their fellow officers, who will
suffer at the hands of rogue officers who will tarnish not only the badges that
you wear so proudly, but the honor that you share in being men and women who
swore “To Protect and Serve”.
CAVEATS OF JUSTICE ©[i]- The only problem with the
oath of office of many of our police officers today and going forward, is that
those sworn oaths now come with a caveat. That caveat is “To Protect and Serve”, a select
few. That caveat is “To Protect
and Serve”, those whom we deem are worthy United States citizens. That caveat is “To Protect and Serve”, to the
highest bidder. And because of these
caveats, whether procedural or intentional, our communities will continue to be
divided along racial lines, religious lines, sexual orientation lines, party
lines, class lines and whatever lines can be drawn with respect to Civil Rights,
with our Police Departments serving loyally as defenders against crime, and
vanguards for violations of Civil Rights.
The only difference between those lines now is that Police Brutality
poses as an acknowledged and acceptable way of life for many of our police
officers who would otherwise sought to wear their uniforms with pride and
honor. But now, for those hard working officers, who put themselves in harm’s
way on any given day, this caveat gives the impression that our police officers
are just doing a job, and are just getting a paycheck. That with this caveat of justice, many of our
police officers and police departments, are wearing a black-eye, all across
America.
As long as our political
and police leaders turn a blind eye to the suppression of Civil Rights of
People of Color or anyone for that matter, the badges that so many of our men
and women wear so proudly, will be the least of which to tarnish. For those of our officers who are within the
ranks of our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, you, with your
various years of outstanding service, if your service has any real value, you
will take this time to remove this caveat of justice. For our political leaders, many of whom your
children are just as likely to fall prey to this new found rallying cry: “I
feared for my life”, this is your opportunity to live up to your sworn oath as
leaders, by standing up for those who rely on police officers to not only
protect them from crime, but to protect them from the injustices of those who
swore before God, to uphold the law.
If this is too much to
ask of our leaders, then allow Police Brutality to remain the caveat of justice
within the Black Community. Allow it to continue to fester, and to swell. Allow this caveat of justice to become
infected, and to continue to grow from within the ranks of our local, state and
federal agencies. If this is too much to
ask of our city, state and federal leaders to remove this caveat of justice,
then allow this black-eye to remain within law enforcement agencies from arrests
to deadly force; through its recruitment programs; from cadets to patrolmen;
from the training that our officers receive to internal affairs and their
self-investigations; from the desk sergeants to watch commanders, as well as
each rank within our agencies to our police chiefs, sheriffs, Commanders and
Directors of every law enforcement agency throughout America, allow this caveat
of justice to remain well placed, well developed, and a real shiner on those
who are truly committed “To Protect and
Serve”. And if it this is too much to
ask to remove Police Brutality as a caveat of justice here in America, then it is
essentially allowing the bullies of (in)justice to operate peacefully, under
the color of law.
[i]
Caveat(s) of Justice © 2014 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr. and The Coveted Commandment
© 2014 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.
