Meet White-White.
She is my ivory-colored Jack Russell and the best part of coming home after a long work-day. In case you haven’t it figured out, White-White is a dog. She does dog things. She plays, pees, poops and sleeps. She barks from our second-floor window at neighbors passing by, and is crazy about her tennis ball. While her behavior proves to be entertaining, it’s not surprising because as a dog, that’s what she’s suppose to do.
Within the past year or so, media outlets have been breaking their necks to shine a positive light on police in America, as the number of unarmed black individuals killed by officers continues to grow. Evidence of this is shown through the increase of “feel-good” news stories featuring cops engaging peacefully with citizens, especially in "urban" areas.
“Copaganda” is what they call it. Who is “they”? Folks who are tired of the very real, ever-increasing stats of black and brown citizens murdered by officers being deflected by the cliché “not all cops are bad” response. In the same effect of a celeb making an appearance at a pediatric burn-ward to save face after getting into controversial shenanigans, Copaganda is no different. It’s cheesy, borderline insulting and means nothing, especially if unarmed black bodies keep falling at the hands of cops. Betty Shelby is the latest officer to get off scott-free after gunning down an unarmed Terrance Crutcher on a Tulsa highway, after his car broke down, and who could be seen on video walking away to his vehicle with his hands up.
When it comes to law enforcement in these United States, the bar is set as low as an ants ankles.
The idea American citizens have to be thankful and appreciative of the public servants who aren’t abusing their authority, murdering unarmed civilians and denying any chance of their day in court is unsettling.
One has to truly wonder what the #BlueLivesMatter brigade want us to say?
“Thank you for you not acting excessively during a routine traffic stop!”
“Thanks for allowing my husband, brother, father and friends their due process (afforded to actual murderers) instead of shooting them on the spot!”
“Thanks for not antagonizing suspects and others on a scene, then violently apprehending them when they respond in a snarky tone!”
Do the boys in blue want a bearclaw or fritter?
Before you prep your fingers to remind me that “not all cops are bad” for the trillionth time, no one is suggesting all cops act maliciously (obviously). However, if the good cops want to alter this historically, negative perception, they should make the effort in producing positive change from the inside. Perhaps adequate training on properly apprehending citizens with mental health disorders. Thorough background checks to ensure there aren’t any Klansmen in the precinct. Hold each other accountable for practices resulting in the deaths of unarmed children on a main-stage, rather than retreating behind that “Blue Wall of Silence.” To simply put it, a touching story about a cop shining a minister’s shoes to neutralize tension between law enforcement and citizens is the equivalent of trying to silence a toddler’s tantrum with a lollipop. Will it shut the crying up? Temporarily. However, the problem won’t be fixed until it’s fully addressed.
Buying citizens ice cream won’t bring back Sandra Bland. A friendly basketball game with Black children won’t return Alton Sterling back home to his family. All the re-runs of Law & Order: SVU showing Benson and Stabler saving the day won’t bring back the numerous lives lost to excessive force.
We’re not asking to be coddled or for Pinkberry, we just want the police to stop killing us.
One can appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of our officers while not congratulating those, who swore to protect and serve, for doing the bare minimum of making people in their communities feel safe.
That would be like praising White-White for barking.
