Michael Brown's body was still lying in the middle of the
street in Ferguson, Missouri when it occurred to me that the issue at hand was
never going to be about what truly happened between the Officer and Brown. It
was going to reach much deeper, into that area of America that few Americans
like to go. It's a painful area, with a long dark past rooted in suffering,
misunderstanding, and a common belief that we as Americans still haven’t come
to a conclusion on the issue that will satisfy all parties involved. Sadly,
this issue seems to erupt on an annual basis, never actually black and white,
always grey, and time and time again, there is no true resolution, just more pain and
misunderstanding. Nothing seems to work and with each issue, advancement in
technology, and abundance of cameras, the problem at hand ever so slowly comes
in to focus, but never quickly enough. Much of what has happened in Ferguson,
Missouri could have been prevented, but that is for another day. I want to
specifically target one piece of the puzzle and offer some an alternative to
many of the negative images that that never should have occurred but that we did unfortunately see in Ferguson. I’m talking to you Officer, and all I have to
say to you is F…-The Police! (More on that later).
My first day at work at the local grocery store I was put in
the bottle room with a guy named Mike. He had one of the biggest boom boxes I
had ever seen & blaring out of it was “Fuck the Police” by NWA. I stood
there for a minute, wondering who the hell was this guy? Was I in imminent
danger, and why would anybody say anything like that about the police? We
instantly bonded and the next day I bought Straight Outta Compton and listened
to it night and day. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, the pain, the
agony, the hate, and overall mistrust. Surely they were mistaken or maybe the
racist cops from the South had all moved to Compton? I even played it for my
dad, and he looked at me and said that is just bullshit, I hope you didn’t
spend money on that!
Then over the next few years, events began unfolding on television,
movies, and even more so in the form of Rap music (the 10 year fad my dad
warned me about, but is still here today). For many Americans, the portion of
the Rodney King beating they played over and over set in motion this visual
distrust that began reaching in to middle America, confirming what few had
heard, while lending voice to what many of the black community had lived & witnessed
firsthand. However, America still refused to hold the conversation on race,
equality, and the rise of the police force. Events continued to unfold and
basically, as long as it wasn’t in your back yard, then fine. Meanwhile, with
each injustice, perceived injustice, or even justified event occurring between
the police & the citizenship they are here to protect and serve, the communication
has never been clear, honest, dyadic, and resolute. Continuing to leave that “if”
in the narrative, enhances the slow boil that looms underneath every street in
America and seemingly on an annual basis explodes in a community, now dotting
the map all over the United States.
What can be done? Our President lacks the leadership skills,
political capital, and resources to address the issue head on. Congress is
about as useful as dollar store toilet paper. All the legitimate civil rights
leaders are either dead, making money off of the problem, or don’t exist. We
the People, as a whole, don’t care, unless it’s in our backyard, then the consensus
is to usually shoot everyone, so who does that leave to take this issue head
on, begin the conversation, listen, and resolve this issue that continues to
fester under our collective skin? The Police, that’s who. They seem to be the
common thread, both in the real world and the perceived one. So who better and
here’s how:
First, STFU when it comes to your opinions about whether or not
the St. Louis Rams players walked in with their hands up. The only thing you
should have said when asked is, that’s their right, and we are here to protect
that right. Complaining about it says that one, you don’t support the right to
free speech, unless you agree with it. Second, it sounds/appears that you are
somehow the victim in all this. America lost that day, not just you. Third, you
just draw more attention to the fact that there is little to no communication
between you and the citizens you represent. If you were to engage in
communication, maybe people wouldn’t feel that way?
Second, enough with the posting on social media either directly
or indirectly every time a black person has harmed a white person. This screams
racism at the public. Saying things like where are the protests? Where are the
rioters? Where’s Al Sharpton? really sends a negative message and makes you
look really ignorant. First of all, there’s no score to keep, and if there was,
I don’t think in the brief history of this Republic, the black man is even
close to winning. I’ll spare you the history lesson (slavery, Jim Crow, civil
rights, etc.), because white people will never truly know what any of this
feels like, both physically, mentally, and generationally. So again, I plead
with you to STFU, for all of our sakes.
Third, cancel your subscription to the Small Penis Club of
America. Return the tanks to the Army and all the other toys you inherited from
Uncle Sam. It’s too clear by now that you don’t know how to use them, over use
them, and look really douchey when you are using them. The consensus opinion of
the Military leaders is that you don’t point a weapon at somebody unless you
plan to shoot them. In the aftermath of Ferguson, you were pointing a lot,
shooting very little. Remember, with over 300 million guns in this country, if
the citizens of Ferguson wanted to engage in a gunfight, they could have, and
you waving your guns around like penises in a male strip club put the entire
country in the uncomfortable position of watching from afar, like your mom
would be in said strip club.
Finally, be honest! From the start, be honest.
Communicate clearly, honestly, and frequently with the public that not only
pays your wages, but entrusts their safety and lives to you. 99% of the people
love you, support you, weep for the fallen, and want to believe that you are here
to serve and protect, not harass and kill. But with each partial truth,
miscommunication, or blatant lie, that trusts gets chipped away at, and for too
many, that triggers painful/historical memories. The lying that occurred in the
minutes after Michael Brown was shot spoke more volumes than the truth ever will.
The lying that continued in the weeks that followed, the miscommunication, the “leaked”
video, the blatant silence, all sent the wrong message and allowed for the “Professional
Disruptors” (as Fox News calls them) to descend on Ferguson, Missouri to begin
their night of rioting.
When an event occurs that even seems remotely out of touch
with common police procedure, appoint a spokesman. Preferably one that can
communicate with a calm manner that YOU are on top of the issue, and that as
information comes in, the public will be updated daily at noon, even if it’s to
say, we have no update today. Invite local advocates/leaders to be a part of
the solution. Don’t lean on them to react to the problem. Be as transparent as
you can, and if it seems that the situation feels like it’s about to erupt, ask
for help, immediately and if “they” won’t listen (being those above your pay
grade), hold a press conference and tell the world, help will be on the way,
directly. Follow through until the story concludes, explain the conclusion to
the public in a communicative way, not like you are talking to a child or down
at them. Take questions, and if there has been an error/mistake, own it, and
take responsibility. At the end of the day you will know that you have done
everything in your power to serve the public and with the passage of time and a
pattern of handling events in a professional, honest manor, these problems
(real & perceived) and civil unrest will become a thing of the past.
As to you Officer, when I say F-The Police, the F stands for
FORGIVE and America loves to forgive, it’s one of our uniting strengths.
