By Rodney Beard
Do we even know who we are anymore or have we lost our way? Where is our outrage? Where is our righteous indignation? But more so, where is our voice? Why are we all not loudly proclaiming together, “Enough is enough?!”
What is enough you ask?
I thought that we would have had enough when an unarmed Black man, Eric Garner, a husband and father of six children, a peacemaker in his Staten Island neighborhood who had just broken up a fight, then harassed and murdered by the police as disturbed onlookers made videos of the ordeal. Actually, one of the people who took the video and his wife was arrested on stupid weapons charges, but the cop who killed him in front of witnesses galore, well he is free and probably still working. But get this, the Coroner ruled Eric’s death a homicide, at the hands of the police and yet, no charges have been filed!
Michael Brown, an unarmed teen on his way to college should be enough, being brutally murdered in the street because of some hateful and definitely racist cop that decided his life had no significance only because of the color of his skin, and the community he lived in. Michael was shot 4 times in the arm and twice in the head according to the renowned Dr. Michael Baden. SIX times! And then his young body lay in the street, a long stream of his precious blood conspicuously quite visible for 4 hours in plain sight for all to see (message sent?) and all of us to get a revelation, hopefully.
Once again, eyewitnesses corroborate the details; he was gunned down for no apparent reason, plain and simple. It seems however the residents of Ferguson, Missouri had enough and sought to exercise their First Amendment rights but instead “they,” came at the stunned community with military grade, federally funded, riot gear; AK-47’s (drawn and aimed at citizens and media), armored vehicles, just like they use in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, or even Gaza. This is what is going on right now, fifteen minutes north of St. Louis. This is America people! But today Ferguson, Missouri is about to look like Iraq because the witnesses to the murder have just had enough.
Ezell Ford, another unarmed Black man who was known to be mentally challenged, should be enough, another Black man who committed no crime whatsoever, yet being murdered by the police for no apparent reason at all. Just murdered by someone who didn’t think this man had a right to live.
A week before Ezell Ford also in Los Angeles, unarmed and “Brown” Omar Abregno was pulled over by the police on suspicion of “allegedly” driving erratically. Well, they literally beat him to death in front of his own home. And, what about the unarmed 51 year old Black woman (a grandmother) on the interstate? “They” tried to kill her via a brutal beating (complete with citizen video), only because she was Black, bi-polar, and simply off her meds.
Some police departments are becoming the Ku Klux Klan in blue uniforms without the hoods to do what the Klan did; intimidate, harass, disrespect, beat and kill eventually, without any compunction. They don’t care if you’re shooting video because they know they won’t come to justice and maybe get rich or famous at the gun shows, like Trayvons killer.
How long will it be until Black and Brown America is living in police states? Answer: Now, right now. This may be coming to your town or community. Your boys, brothers, nephews, husbands, are all at critical risk and deliberate targets.
Meanwhile in this truly unjust society, Clive Bundy in Nevada has been breaking federal laws for 20 years, stolen well over a million ($1,000,000) dollars in government money (robbery if you ask me), and when the Feds came after him, he and his heavily armed friends drew all of their guns and had snipers everywhere! But you know what the Feds did? They left Clive with all his guns, our money, his friends, snipers, fame, and just let that slide to this very day. Ok? Had enough yet? I did.
I wanted to know how I might do something personally and in a peaceful manner. I called the National Action Network led by Rev Al Sharpton who has truly grown even though I don’t agree with all of his views, but he is always on the forefront of the fight every single time (as we should be), for social justice. My query led to the discovery that there was no national voice in Nashville other than the NAACP, which I have decided to join again, as well. My intent was to join the Nashville Chapter of NAN until I was told that there is none. So I am starting one right now and have 50 committed members already.
If you believe enough is enough, and want your voice to be added to a national call to end violence against you, will you join us today? Email me pastorbeard@comcast.net and join The National Action Network of Greater Nashville Tennessee today.
Stand Your Ground!
Rodney Beard