Ramarley Graham, 18 years old, killed
by police on February 2, 2012
Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr., 31 years old,
off-duty policeman killed by police on February 7, 2012
Raymond Allen, 34 years old, killed by
police on February 27, 2012
Shereece Francis, 30 years old, killed
by police on March 15, 2012
Kendrec McDade, 19 years old, killed by
police on March 24, 2012
Tamon Robinson, 27 years old, killed by
police on April 18, 2012
Reynaldo Cuevas, 20 years old, killed
by police on September 7, 2012
Kimani Gray, 16 years old, killed by
police on March 9, 2013
Jonathan Ferrell, 24 years old, killed
by police on September 14, 2013
Jordan Baker, 26 years old, killed by
police on January 16, 2014
Yvette Smith, 47 years old, killed by
police on February 16, 2014
Dontre Hamilton, 31 years old, killed
by police on April 30, 2014
Eric Garner, 43 years old, killed by
police on July 17, 2014
John Crawford III, 22 years old, killed
by police on August 5, 2014
Mike Brown, 18 years old, killed by
police on August 9, 2014
Ezell Ford, 25 years old, killed by
police on August 12. 2014
Kajieme Powell, 25 years old, killed by
police on August 19, 2014
Akai Gurley, 28 years old, killed by
police on November 20, 2014
Tamir Rice, 12 years old, killed by
police on November 22, 2014
Tony Robinson, 19 years old, killed by
police on March 6, 2015
Naeschylus Vinzant, 37 years old,
killed by police on March 6, 2015
Brandon Jones, 18 years old, killed by
police on March 19, 2015
Denzel Brown, 21 years old, killed by
police on March 22, 2015
Nicholas Thomas, 23 years old, killed
by police on March 24, 2015
Eric Harris, 44 years old, killed by
police on April 2, 2015
Walter Scott, 50 years old, killed by
police on April 4, 2015
Frank Shepherd III, 41 years old,
killed by police on April 15, 2015
Freddie Gray, 25 years old, killed by
police on April 19, 2015
William Chapman, 18 years old, killed
by police on April 22, 2015
David Felix, 24 years old, killed by
police on April 25, 2015
Terrance Kellom, 20 years old, killed
by police on April 27, 2015
Brandon Glenn, 29 years old, killed by
police on May 6, 2015
De'Angelo Stallworth, 28 years old,
killed by police on May 12, 2015
Spencer McCain, 41 years old, killed by
police on June 25, 2015
Victo Larosa III, 23 years old, killed
by police on July 2, 2015
Albert Davis, 23 years old, killed by
police on July 17, 2015
Darius Stewart, 19 years old, killed by
police on July 17, 2015
Samuel Dubose, 43 years old, killed by
police on July 19, 2015
Christian Taylor, 19 years old, killed
by police on August 7, 2015
Keith McLeod. 19 years old, killed by
police on September 23, 2015
Junior Prosper, 31 years old, killed by
police on September 28, 2015
Paterson Brown, 18 years old, killed by
police on October 17, 2015
Anthony Ashford, 29 years old, killed
by police on October 27, 2015
Jamar Clark, 24 years old, killed by
police on November 15, 2015
Cornelius Brown, 25 years old, killed
by police on November 18, 2015
Bettie Jones, 55 years old, killed by
police on December 25, 2015
Keith Childress, 23 years old, killed
by police on December 31, 2015
Antronie Scott, 36 years old, killed by
police on February 4, 2016
David Joseph, 17 years old, killed by
police on February 8, 2016
Calin Roquemore, 24 years old, killed
by police on February 13, 2016
Dyzhawn Perkins, 19 years old, killed
by police on February 13, 2016
Christopher Davis, 21 years old, killed
by police on February 24, 2016
Kevin Hicks, 44 years old, killed by
police on April 5, 2016
Demarcus Semer, 21 years old, killed by
police on April 23, 2016
Willie Tillman, 33 years old, killed by
police on April 23, 2016
Ashtian Barnes, 25 years old, killed by
police on April 28, 2016
Michael Wilson Jr., 27 years old,
killed by police on May 22, 2016
Vernell Bing Jr., 22 years old, killed
by police on May 22, 2016
Doll Pierre-Louis, 24 years old, killed
by police on May 25, 2016
Devonte Gates, 21 years old, killed by
police on May 26, 2016
Antwun Shumpert, 37 years old, killed
by police on June 18, 2016
Clarence Howard, 25 years old, killed
by police on June 19, 2016
Deravis Rogers, 22 years old, killed by
police on June 23, 2016
Delrawn Small, 27 years old, killed by
police on July 4, 2016
Philandro Castile, 32 years old, killed
by police on July 6, 2016
Dalvin Hollis, 19 years old, killed by
police on July 27, 2016
Donnell Thompson Jr., 27 years old,
killed by police on July 28, 2016
SIXTY-SEVEN dead. And this FAR from an inclusive list. It does not include the death, for example, of
Sandra Bland, who died under very questionable circumstances while in
police custody. It doesn't include a slew of deaths that occurred
after people were tazed, beaten to death, and/or had police dogs
sicced on them. It does not include those who died after being hit by a police car or outright run over. I had to pick and choose which people to include, and which not to. So as I quickly skimmed the details of their death, if I thought there was even the slightest hint that the police may have possibly had a sliver of a chance to feel that they were in danger, I didn't include them. So this list is a reflection of my judgment. The vast majority of those who appear on this list were buried with bullet holes. To those who are not included on this list, I do not believe you "deserved" to die. I mourn your loss as much as I mourn those on this list. This is not an inclusive list, but all of the people
in this list share a couple of things in common: first, they had no
weapons on their person at the time of their deaths; and second, they
are all people of color, with the vast majority of them Black, young,
and male.
Since WWII, the total number of
American casualties in the recognized wars that our country has been
involved in is 1,467,260. Whether anyone agrees with, disagrees with,
supports or condemns any or all of the wars we've been involved with,
these are Our soldiers and their sacrifice cannot be dismissed.
In 2012, Colin Kaepernick became well
known in every American football fan's household across the globe. In
just his second year in the NFL, playing for the storied San
Francisco 49ers, and taking over as the starting QB in week 10, he
led his team to the Superbowl. Though the Baltimore Ravens won the
chip that year, Kaepernick was anointed the QB of the future. You
couldn't turn on the TV or page through a magazine without seeing
him. He was everywhere. Endorsement deals at every turn, on the red
carpet, he was Sports Royalty.
2013 was another great year for him
professionally, as he led his 49ers back to the NFC Championship game
against their division rival Seattle Seahawks. He had a sub-par
performance, with a couple of turnovers in the 4th
quarter. Seattle went to the Superbowl that year. And it seemed to be
the beginning of the end of Kaepernick's reign as royalty. In 2014,
he was ordinary. A big part of his decline can be looked at as a
direct result of the souring of the relationship between his head
coach, Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers organization. But I have always
been one to believe that as the QB, when the team is successful, you
get all the glory so when they're not, the QB must take his piece of
the blame. In addition, much of Kaepernick's success was due to the
“wildcat” offense, a trick offense if you will. Ask Robert
Griffin III how his career has played out as defenses learn to defend
that style of offense. In 2014, Kaepernick and the 49ers had a very
unimpressive 8-8 season.
In 2015, under new head coach Mike
Tomsula, the 49ers started out at a very disappointing 2-6, at which
point Kaepernick was benched. The poor record was not Kaepernick's
fault entirely. But as I said, in football, the QB gets all the glory
and he also gets all the blame. After losing his starting position,
he was benched for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury.
Tomsula was fired at the end of the 2015 season, replaced by Chip
Kelly. There are those who believed that Kelly was going to save
Kaepernick's career, as Kaepernick was the perfect QB for Kelly's
offense.
So far in pre-season, though,
Kaepernick has been unimpressive in Kelly's offense, and Blaine
Gabbert is believed to be their starting QB for the 2016 season. With
3 QBs fighting for 2 remaining roster spots, there are some “experts”
who believe that 2 years after signing a contract extension worth up
to as much as $126 million, that Colin Kaepernick might not have a
team to play for.
So apparently, Kaepernick has chosen
not to stand during the playing of the National Anthem for all 3
pre-season games, as of the date that I'm writing this. He wasn't
suited up to play in the first 2 games, so his decision went
unnoticed. In uniform, though, it was noticed. When asked about his
decision not to stand, he explained,
"I
am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that
oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger
than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other
way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and
getting away with murder."
NOW,
being a Packers fan and having had Kaepernick absolutely destroy my
defense in 3 consecutive meetings in 2012-2013, I pretty much hate
the guy as a football player. And I don't feel one bit of guilt for
it. So when this controversy first blew up, I dismissed him and his
position... NOT because his words had no validity, because they do.
But I relegated it to being a self-serving push for publicity.
Perhaps he too realized that there was a good chance of his being cut
by the team, so by embroiling himself in a controversy, he might be
able to get 1 of 2 results: kept on the roster so that the 49ers
could avoid looking like they're racist by cutting the Black QB who's
standing up for #BlackLivesMatter; OR the 49ers will try to deal him
to a team where he has a shot of starting, thereby avoiding #1
altogether.
But,
in an effort to be fair, I went out to Kaepernick's Twitter page to
review his account. Maybe he's been vocal about the issue all along,
but I didn't know it because I don't follow him and mostly don't
listen to anything he says. Going all the way back to 2015, I am not
seeing any tweets or retweets related to BLM. The first sign of
interest I see on his page is from July 2016. So forgive me, but I
have to wonder what happened so recently that made this man stop and
say “Hey, this nation isn't treating Black people / people of color
right”. I have to be honest and question his sincerity. Where was
his outrage when Mike Brown was literally laying in the streets in
puddles of his own blood, with bullet holes in his body? Was it
easier for him to look past his body because he had all those
endorsements, all that money, all that attention and adoration? Is it
just now that the spotlight has found alternate areas to focus that
he sees what's been happening?
But
then again I have to ask myself... even if it's only because the
bright lights aren't blinding him that he's able to see, isn't the
fact that he's seeing it now what matters? “They” always say
“better late than never” so can't we give Colin that same
courtesy? Is it my admittedly-ridiculous-on-the-verge-of-crazy
loyalty to my Packers that is clouding my own judgment on this very
REAL issue? And really, do I even have the “right” to question
another person's motives?
Because
in the time since the year that Kaepernick became a household name, a
very incomplete list of 67 unarmed men and women of color have been
murdered by police, with only a handful of indictments and virtually
no convictions. In each case, the killer cops are put on a paid
administrative leave, and are cleared of any wrongdoing. Unarmed
citizens buried with bullet holes, and no justice. And although he's
biracial himself and was raised by adoptive white parents, when
people look at him, they see a Black man. And when he looks at the
faces of these 67, he very likely sees himself. Doesn't he have the
right to be angry? Shouldn't we ALL be angry?
And
of course, there's the very predictable but still ugly reaction to
Kaepernick's statements. A lot of people are coming from a position
of “patriotism” and are saying things like “If you don't like
it here, then leave”. And I actually have no problem with that. We
have millions of people who have either personally served in our
Armed Forces, or have friends/family who have fought and died in the
name of this country. And people who do and say things that they
interpret as disrespecting the American flag, the American people
and/or America offend them. They have a right to those feelings, just
as much as Kaepernick has the right to feel that this country has not
done right by people of color.
With
that said, the people who say “Go back to Africa” or attach the N
word or any other racial epithet... that's where they step over the
line. I mean really... “Go back to Africa” is completely
ignorant. Africans who were brought here as SLAVES did not board a
cruise ship only to find that they'd been bamboozled. They were
kidnapped, chained, bought and sold as property. “Go back to
Africa” is about as ignorant as anyone can be. And those who fall
back on calling someone the N word or other epithet simply admits
that they're too stupid to process the situation and present their
opinions in an intelligent manner. I disregard anyone who resorts to
these arguments.
I've
been personally attacked for my opinion, on social media, by both
white folks who consider themselves patriotic as well as by people of
color. My patriotic detractors are all-or-nothing on this matter. If
I don't condemn someone who doesn't stand for the National Anthem (or
put her hand over her heart while it's played, etc.) then I am just
as much a scourge to this nation and I can leave too. People of color
have attacked, saying that if I accept someone saying “If you don't
like it here then leave” then I am saying nothing in this country
is wrong and nothing needs to change. Neither of these groups could
be more wrong, and in my opinion both of them are a part of the
problem.
See,
I believe that you can love a person or a place or a city or a
country, and still admit and recognize that they're not perfect.
There are a LOT of things I feel need to be changed in this country,
including but not limited to racial justice and equality. And I love
America. I don't thing we need to make America great “again”. I
think we're pretty great as we are. That doesn't mean, however, that
I don't see all the ways that we can improve and be even greater. At
the same time, I understand that those who've lost friends and family
who fought in the name of freedom and democracy are going to have a
strong reaction to criticisms of our country. Who am I to tell them
that their feelings are invalid?
Very
rarely, if ever, is an all-or-nothing approach going to lead to
anything positive. Ignoring the very real racial and ethnic issues in
the US gets us nowhere... at the same time, to ignore the fact that
Kaepernick has the right to voice his position as it is, is the
direct result of his living in the United States as opposed to places
like Russia or China or any number of nations where the people have
no freedom of speech... well that's just pure stupid too.
The
truth is that although this is a great and powerful nation, we're
going backwards. There are very real, very scary and very
embarrassing reasons a candidate like Donald Trump, in a campaign
based on hate and bigotry and intolerance, has been allowed to
succeed. We are at a crossroads: we can swallow our collective pride,
finally deal with all of the dirt that we as a nation and that we as
individuals have done, and find a way to begin to heal and move
forward together, or we are
going to continue to fight each other in vain.
