Why did you Kill that Man?
March 16th, 2000 was a day like any other for Patrick Dorismond. He worked his shift as a security guard for the 34th St. Partnership and went to have a beer with a coworker after work at the Wakamba Cocktail Lounge. He was in the best of moods because the next day was payday. Upon exiting the bar after midnight, some middle-aged men strolled up to him trying to score some marijuana. Patrick politely told them he didn’t do drugs and asked them to keep it moving. They insisted that surely he knew where they could score. The situation escalated until Patrick’s tone of voice rose and he warned the troublemakers to get lost. The men were undercover NYPD officers -caught up in a movie of Cowboys and Indians- instructed to “bring in the dope-peddling good-for-nothings.” Patrick -a Haitian-American whose parents had come to New York for economic reasons- fit their description and they planned to fulfill their quota. Without identifying themselves, they attacked the security guard. When Patrick defended himself –two other officers there for backup called “ghosts-” intervened, shooting him in the chest, murdering him instantly.
To the naïve, it was a terrible isolated tragedy. From the perspective of the Black community, it was police business as usual, what police have done to Black people for centuries. Tonight Patrick would not go home to his fiancé Karen and their one year old daughter Destiny.
As was customary, the political establishment attacked the victim, claiming the 26 year-old Dorismond was at fault. The career-politician and acting Mayor Rudolph Giuliani told the press Patrick was “no altar boy,” never once expressing regret for the loss of an innocent life. Interestingly enough, Patrick had graduated from the same Catholic school as the mayor, a piece of irony Giuliani chose to ignore. As the funeral approached, tension was high between a community devastated by police abuse and a police department drunk with arrogance and racism.
Would we Patrol your Funerals?
Tens of thousands congregated in Brooklyn the weekend after Patrick’s murder to stand with his family and express their repudiation of the latest police slaying. What began as a somber funeral procession generated momentum as it slowly rolled down Flatbush Avenue, a central artery of the Haitian community. By the time the march reached the funeral home on Church Ave. it was impossible to decipher where the burial march began and ended. The community stood as one mighty fortress. The forces dressed in blue sensed they were increasingly outnumbered. The air was heavy with grief and anger. All eyes were on the thousands of police sent to patrol the funeral. Young and old alike looked at their robotic faces as if to say “Why are you even here? This is not your family’s affair. Go back to where you came from and let us grieve. Would we patrol your funerals?” It was clear that Flatbush was on the brink of combustion and all it needed was a spark to ignite into an indomitable blaze of glory.
The slap in the face that pushed people over the edge came in the form of yet another police miscalculation. Vying for control, they led the lead vehicle with Patrick’s body towards the cemetery but attempted to halt the crowd of thousands who quietly and respectfully followed the casket. A melee ensued and the police lines were pushed back as the furious crowd demanded to accompany their son on his final voyage. What was one, two, three confrontations were soon hundreds of conflagrations that threatened to devour those accustomed to being in control. The united police line was broken. The intruders found themselves drowning in isolation until they were completely enveloped by the sea of fury. White-shirted and white-skinned captains’ faces filled with panic. Standing paralyzed before the mighty lavalas or tidal wave of popular anger, one police lieutenant spoke into every walkie-talkie he could muster up. I wondered how that communication was heard at the local precincts and at the mayor’s office; “Send the entire precinct. No! Send every precinct in Brooklyn. No! Send the National Guard.”
The terrain had shifted under the feat of the invaders. The indigenous army grew emboldened. Fear was not invited to this gathering and the ranks of the enraged swelled with fresh reserves of recruits who streamed in from surrounding streets. The police were fish out of water. Every roof was a marksman’s nest, a staging ground to shower the NYPD in bricks and bottles. With the blue reinforcements in pursuit, every door was an entrance into hallways that became Cu Chi Tunnels. When the police closed in on their prey a door magically opened up snatching the children from their would-be wardens.
How does it Feel?
Reinforcements were called in on both sides. It was army versus army on an open battlefield called Church Ave. One army counted upon battalions who acted to collect their paychecks and appease their superiors. The other militia counted among its ranks protagonists who sought to undo and transform years of humiliation into one united fist. Everything became a weapon in the hands of the dispossessed. A 15 year-old freedom fighter -born in Port-au-Prince but reared in Brooklyn- would later claim that Haitians were born with rocks in their back pockets precisely for these moments of self-defense. The next line of police arrived atop a cavalry of misdirected mares. Why introduce these poor creatures into a battle scene so distant from their birthplace? In unison the multitude burst out into chant “Get those animals off those horses!” Advancing forward the cavalcade sought to regain momentum but the day was ripe with surprises. A young man-child armed with only some stones and a boomerang of colonial violence set the tone. He ran straight at the approaching enemy lines, stopped on a dime then did an about face before dropping his drawers to the applause of the mighty crowd and mooning his enemies. Perhaps it was not the cue the veteran street commanders expected but it struck a chord with the generation of youth warriors. As if rehearsed, the cadre of teenagers saluted their oncoming foes with this perfectly-timed gesture. The ultimate symbol of disrespect and contempt signaled a fresh fusillade of glass, steel and stone into the eyes of the police. The horses were turned back. The horsemen fell, reduced to a state of atomized desperation.
In this carnival of liberation only smiles decorated the faces of our heroes. The pendulum of confidence had swung from one side to the other. This was the closest some would ever get to emancipation. Power dislodged powerlessness. Regardless of the aftermath, for that brief glimpse of eternity, broken men and men they sought to break were in control of themselves, of their environment, of their humanity. Every self-assured smile posed the question: How does it feel boys to try to wade in the mighty current of the people’s wrath? Those accustomed to swaggering around with full confidence now retreated in full sprints thinking of their own spouses and loved ones. Were there heartbeats and human instincts beneath those uniforms and badges? Past battles argue that no there are none but it rests upon future battles to address this timeless question once and for all.
Our only Weapon: The Ancestors
NBC news wanted to be the first major network to break the story. The camera crew piled out of the news truck intent upon recording the situation and interviewing the balaclava-clad rebels. They immediately came under fire from a group of young generals who bombarded the news truck with bottles and everything under the sun. How the terror came alive in their eyes! Sprinting in high-heals and Dockers cannot be easy but our guests made it look quite natural on that day. They sped off with shattered windshields and windows as fast as they had arrived without a hello or goodbye. The masses burst into laughter waving Bon voyage! as if to say surely you can misreport from a safe distance -up in your helicopters and in your air-conditioned newsrooms. It is not safe for you down here were history unfolds.
The roofs of parallel apartment buildings remained the launching pad for Flatbush’s resistance. The phalanx of police were again on the run, a familiar sight that day and one of the finer sights the author has had the privilege of laying his eyes upon. These were Haitian sharpshooters taking on the usual American snipers. Antagonists and protagonists flipped roles. The underdog was in control. He would write his own Hollywood ending. These were scenes from “The Spook who Sat by the Door,” spontaneous urban guerrilla warfare. The last were first and the first were running for their lives, unseated from their bastion of condescension. Bricks and rocks flew from the hands of every young Black man and woman who was ever been stopped, silenced, humiliated, frisked, harassed, insulted, spat on, imprisoned and murdered.
How many years of accumulated rage detonated that day? The mightiest of loves and hatreds intermingled in the clouds that hung overhead, a harbinger of a future on the horizon. The ancestors had deposited an inheritance of truth-seeking in the hungry, willing veins of prodigal sons and daughters. The Haitian offspring of legendary battles and epic victories taught us all a lesson. The daughters and sons of Dessalines, Kapwa Lamo & L’ouverture showed us who is invincible and who is vulnerable. They showed all of Brooklyn and every ghetto in the world that we all have a Haiti within, searching for redemption.
The Final Word
The tale the author tells flows from torrents of tears and excruciating heartbreak. The masses bid farewell the only way they knew how -assuring Patrick he had not died in vain- promising Guilianni to rashe manyok li –uproot him from office. The latest police murder –coming on the heals of the abuse of Abner Louima and the murder of Amadou Diallo- forced the hand of the oppressors and flipped the script between the prosecutor and the defendant, the accuser and the accused, the hunter and the hunted. “Our best organizers in the South,” the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “are the police themselves.” All too tragic and familiar the dialectical relationship between humiliation and the people standing up to say “We’ve had enough!” Has liberation ever been baptized in anything but the blood of the oppressors?
Our detractors tell us not to encourage or glorify violence. Meanwhile under the hypocritical flow of their segregating tears and moralizing cliches, our people’s lives are stolen every day. Nothing has ever slowed the oppressors in their tracks like the armed discipline and self-defense of the oppressed. This does not mean that we rule out non-violence and civil disobedience. These are all tactics in our collection of freedom-weapons. Why would we limit ourselves? In the words of Georgetown’s profit Walter Rodney: “the revolution will be as peaceful as possible and as violent as necessary.” Only the dispossessed will determine which weapon is correct for each twist and turn of the decisive showdown with their brutalizers. Those on the sidelines -comfortable with sermonizing- should stay right there as the people take center stage and make things right again.
I am torn asunder when it comes to articles of the violence between civilians and police officers. This article, while good writing in terms of being descriptive and filled with revolt for change, is also for a brief moment in this victory, narrow in vision when describing the police called to respond that day. A few bad apples, should not deflect from the good of people on BOTH sides of crises. We need to dig deeper, and examine the seeds that we plant, and begin with change at that level, so that the fruits of our social labor can be united and leave no spoils.
I feel that there was no need for the funeral to get out of hand. The shooting and killing of Patrick Dorismond was not necessary either. Police brutality is an issue that may never stop occurring, but must be reduced in how often it happens as much as possible. Not all officers are bad, but the ones who are must be weed out from the rest.
This article serves as proof that the police have for many years killed our people hiding their racism behind a uniform. It is outrageous that we have to live in constant fear of those who are meant to protect us and serve the community. Our enemy comes from within. There is no more segregation but racism is definitely not dead. The community of Flatbush set an example of what the rest of us should do. we cannot bow down to the men in uniform, violence is not the answer but it seems that our words are not heard. Every day something like this occurs and we have to rise against this. We have the power to make it stop.
I found this article interesting. But at the same time, I felt some of that anger the Haitians portrayed. Why did the cops feel the need to take role as vigilantes, when one of their own killed an innocent man? It was unnecessary to call out more police into the funeral. I feel like they made them feel like they were some kind of criminals.
Though this event happened 15 years ago these occurrences are still happening in this country today. I am not surprised that police brutality is still happening today because racism still lives on in this country whether we want to believe it or not. I could write a whole essay on this topic so i’m just going to leave it at that. The solidarity of the people in this case is very admirable. There is strength in numbers and even though I disagree with the use of violence as a way to make a statement solidarity always triumphs.
This article was very moving for me, being a young half Puerto Rican and half African American young man growing up in Brooklyn New York. Hearing about the Haitian community coming together as a whole to stand up for one of their brothers was touching. It showed that people can still come together as one and fight back against the enemy and stand for true freedom. Reading this article opened my eyes in the sense that police get away with so much, but that doesn’t mean we have to let them.
As I read through this article, the way that this man was killed by the two police officers baffles me. It makes me question the technique that is used by the NYPD on a daily basis. Also when reading through the part of patrolling your funeral, I seen how well the community gathered together to see through the corrupted parts of the NYPD .
This explosion in Flatbush has been replicated over the years. There is always going to be brutality against people that are not of the privileged “white” race. The only way that police brutality will stop is if there is a change in the criminal system when it comes to stereotypes. What those police did to Patrick and at his funeral is unacceptable. Just because there was a large group of people there grieving for the loss of a man who did nothing wrong does not mean there there should be a large mass of police officers. These people were grieving because of what the police did to Patrick why would they want to have a crowd of police officers around them. The only reason there was an uproar was because the police were trying to control them.They did not need to be controlled. This uproar was much needed to show that the community is bigger and stronger together than a line of police officers run by stereotypical criminal system.
I understand the anger and the need for redemption for this attack. What they did to Patrick Dorismond and his family was unjust. There is no way to right that wrong. That crowd had a lot of energy and it’s unfortunate that the news van got attacked because that detracts from the message they were trying to send. I disagree with the author as violence as an option for change. The best way I can explain my stance is in saying I was a rebellious child and sometimes like quite a few Hispanic youths, I was hit with belt or some other household object, but that wouldn’t necessarily curb my behavior. I think the most poignant times for me was when my mom didn’t do or say anything. She would be so disappointed and those were the times I would actually reflect on my actions. (I can admit though, my knowledge on violence being an appropriate response is limited.) Unfortunately, the Dorismond case has not been the only case of profiling leading to death in the past few years, and there has to be a way where we can come together and bring light to this ongoing issue and effectively bring change.
This article touches on one of the many occasions when Police Officers used their power to take advantage of innocent people and once again taking the life of an innocent man. Growing up in Flatbush I witnessed and heard a lot about young black men being killed by the cops because they fit a certain description, when in reality these officers were acting based on their racist views. But this piece shows that if our people were to come together more often, then the NYPD, police forces in general would not be able to hurt us or stop us. Patrick did not deserve to have his life taken, and for this reason I support the actions of everyone in Flatbush on the day of his funeral. If we are not going to stand up against corrupt police officers then how will their corrupt ways ever be brought to the light and changed. History has been repeating itself non-stop, and if we come together we can start to rewrite the unjust parts of our country’s history.
After I read this articles, I feel whatever the police officers did wasn’t right. The man got killed by the police officers. It was an innocent man. Racism played a huge role here. The police tend to be more violent against other races. I was surprise that they send polices to patrol the funeral. They are there acting like all these people committed a crime. I feel there is a need for us to try to do something to change this and don’t let this continue to happen.
While reading this article it shows how some people can abuse their power. Sadly, racial profiling still happens now and hopefully it’ll stop soon. A community that stands together prevails together, this is how it should be everywhere and stand as one but not act recklessly because violence does not solve the issue, just makes things worse.
Having only moved to New York in 2005, i have had no idea of this event. But i am pleased to see that there are records of such a significant happening are still present and unforgotten. This shows how much more we can do if we unite under one cause. Once the people were pushed enough they erupted with just violence and protest. A truly beautiful sight to behold, and read about, during the time when your will and freedom are constantly being put to the test if not stripped of all significance and value at all!
Reading the beginning of the article, I felt discouraged because police brutality is still so common today that I am almost numb to these horrifying stories. However, the anger and retaliation that the Haitian community displayed made me glad to see that people fought back against the unjust police system. What I hope now is that these communities don’t give up the fight because this article showed that they have strength beyond numbers.
“They showed all of Brooklyn and every ghetto in the world that we all have a Haiti within, searching for redemption.” I am truly sorry for the loss of an innocent life of Patrick Dorismond, and countless other people who have lost their lives in similar incidents. In 2010 alone, 6,613 police officers were allegedly accused of misconduct in U.S. This number grows like every year by leaps and bounds. Why does our police operate based on underlying biases? Another aspect of this article is that while all the statistics and police records talk about such incidents, what happens to the police offenders is never mentioned anywhere. This is a clear example of euphemism. I think that when we start treating each other beyond the worldly differences like skin color, and more like humans, this world would become a much safer and happier place to live in.
Police brutality has been an ongoing issue. This event happened 15 years ago and there are still incidents just like it today. It will continue to occur until the stigma attached to races that are considered minorities disappears. This event stands to prove that police hide behind a badge and take advantage of their authority. They know their word holds more weight than say Patrick Dorismond. It is sad but true. Stereotypes surround Hispanics and African Americans as well as police officers. Neither one will change unless both change.
The battle between police and the people has always been an issue. The passage is a great example of police interaction with the people gone wrong. The police department is seen as a whole if one member of the departments messes up the whole department is judge based on it. The event between the police officers and Patrick Dorismond was uncalled for and unjust. The people’s reactions to the unjust interaction could of been done differently but at the seam of the moment it may have seemed right. If It was one of my family members i wouldn’t know how to react. I believe lack of training is a big issue but also when you’re on the field as well everything’s is different also. One has to react in split seconds decisions.
This reading caught my attention because it shows how long the police force has been taken advantage of the amount of authority that has been granted to them. It just shows how we fear those that are supposed to protect us from danger but instead they are the danger. This can all relate to recent cases such as Michael brown and many others.i feel this violence will only stop with a battle against the police force at the rate this continues.
My response to this is what do the boys in blue expect? you kill an unarmed man just trying to get home to his wife and kids when in fact the officers were in the wrong. To many times officers use tis tactic of not identifying themselves when approaching someone and when that person reacts they use excessive force. also why have police presence at the funeral? this only provokes the situation more. they already have ill will towards you and you make your presence known for what reason exactly. I feel like they just want to exert power and make their presence known but it backfired on them. if they was not at the funeral it would have been a peaceful event. if they would have identified themselves to this man he would not have became irate and he would more than likely still be alive.
This article proves that the police killing colored people and not caring about it is not something that just started happening. Its been going on for years but now with the media it has caught people’s attention more and they’ve decided to speak up. I just find it so sad how the people who we are suppose to be safe around and protect us are the ones who actually make us feel uncomfortable. I question, so who is suppose to protect us? It is also sad how now all cops even the ones who have nothing to do with the racist cops actions still have to deal with it and be looked at wrong. I question, so who is suppose to protect us?
These article was interesting and unfair but then again what is fair?. Its not right that police had to be posted all around the memorial site and watch Dorismond’s family grieve. They should had just let them be and leave them alone. Just let him rest in peace. The line from this article that I liked a lot was “It is not safe for you down here were history unfolds.” this line just stood out to me because its kind of true in a way. People should not be where things “get real” at, if they cant handle the rafted of “the people.”
Its unfortunate that Patrick was caught up in that situation, but even more it is unfair that the cops got away it with. When the people came out to protest, they didn’t want anything but justice served for him. This is one of the many situations that our government fails in. You are secretly giving justice based on your skin color or race, that’s suppose to act as an overall presentation for one. Its a tremendous problem and along with the problem, the justice system needs major reinvention and reconstruction.
The death of Patrick Dorismond, and the events that followed is just another dreadful act that occurred due to the unprofessionalism of law enforcement. I’ve come to realize that it is not a question of whether to fight back or not, but a question of how we come about fighting this tremendous injustice. We must realize that the act of violence itself is defective. In other word’s it does not work. The act of violence escalates and worsens the situation. We must find new techniques to fight back for all the abuse and discrimination we have undergone.
its unfair that Patrick got into a unnecessary situation with the police officers. it was no need for him to be killed. there was enough damage done to the family with the situation alone. yet there still making a show at the funeral. this shows that police did not just start killing people of color
According to this article, I feel that this situation is never ending. This occurrence happened 16 years ago and we are still experiencing this type of cases. To name a few, nearly 102 unarmed black culture individuals were killed in 2015. Do we see any changes throughout these years? of course we do, the range of killing innocent people of color is increasing and the government keeps neglecting it. Also, I believe this has to do with racism because, how come every individual of color has to be killed by whites? can someone explain that to me?Police brutality against black culture civilians will always be a controversy.
I just don’t understand why the police department continue doing this. It feels like its everyday a fellow member of the black community loses their life because of a senseless act on behalf of the police department because they don’t know how to do their job properly. The reason of patrick death was because the cops were just trying to get their job done, even if it cost a innocent person life. During patrick funeral, all the black community wanted was to grieve the loss of brother in peace but things got out hand once the police failed in doing their job properly. This is the same story, with the same ending that we’ve heard more than thousands times .
I just don’t understand why the police department continue doing this. Its never ending. It feels like its everyday a fellow member of the black community loses their life because of a senseless act on behalf of the police department because they don’t know how to do their job properly. The reason of patrick death was because the cops were just trying to get their job done, even if it cost a innocent person life. During patrick funeral, all the black community wanted was to grieve the loss of brother in peace but things got out hand once the police failed in doing their job properly. This is the same story, with the same ending that we’ve heard more than thousands times .
It is such a shame that innocent people die in vain such as Dorismond, and all those who have been immorally murdered. It has been evident for years that this must change. I believe that stereotypes are embedded in the minds of shameless people and are a part of this issue. The police and government act according to what they believe is “morally” correct. Except what is the point of “liberty and justice to all” if they [policemen}, cannot practice what they preach? I only hope that one day those who have taken innocent lives will reap what they have sewn.
Though it is understandable why people have riots, which is because they’re venting out their unheard frustrations, it’s still not a good thing to have riots. I mean it’s clear that our authority figures must know who should be afraid of who. But at the same time, causing thousands of dollars in property damage doesn’t help anyone in the long run. Furthermore with the breakdown of law and order, you have opportunists who are free to steal till their hearts’ content. So though anarchy may seem appeasing in the moment, rest assured that we would all start eating each other in the long run. Don’t get wrong. It’s sometimes necessary to hold our government’s feet to the fire. It’s just that there has to be a better way to do it than rioting.
Sixteen years after Patrick Dorismond’s death, and the circumstances haven’t changed a bit. Till this day there is a race above another, and those of a darker complexion, have been forced to live in a world that judges them for being who they are. Sadly many people with this mentality rise to power, and they use that power to hurt and murder innocent people of color. And why do they do this? Because they can get away with it, with out consequences. They use media outlets to excuse their savage ways, by putting shame on the name of the deceased. Their hatred towards another race is such to a high extent, that they couldn’t let the loved ones of Dorismond mourn in peace. I believe the funeral shouldn’t have turned into such a war, but its so much a person can take. It so much a culture can take , its just so much a whole race can take until they can’t take it anymore. Eventually they have to fight back because being passive is no longer working. Year by year more and more African American people are being killed by police officers, police officers that don’t pay for their crime and give no valid reason for their actions. So as stated in this essay “In the words of Georgetown’s profit Walter Rodney: “the revolution will be as peaceful as possible and as violent as necessary.”
Sixteen years after Patrick Dorismond’s death, and the circumstances haven’t changed a bit. Till this day there is a race above another, and those of a darker complexion, have been forced to live in a world that judges them for being who they are. Sadly many people with this mentality rise to power, and they use that power to hurt and murder innocent people of color. And why do they do this? Because they can get away with it, with out consequences. They use media outlets to excuse their savage ways, by putting shame on the name of the deceased. Their hatred towards another race is such to a high extent, that they couldn’t let the loved ones of Dorismond mourn in peace. I believe the funeral shouldn’t have turned into such a war, but its so much a person can take. It so much a culture can take , its just so much a whole race can take until they can’t take it anymore. Eventually they have to fight back because being passive is no longer working. Year by year more and more African American people are being killed by police officers, police officers that don’t pay for their crime and give no valid reason for their actions. As stated in this essay, “In the words of Georgetown’s profit Walter Rodney: “the revolution will be as peaceful as possible and as violent as necessary.”
Sixteen years after Patrick Dorismond’s death, and the circumstances haven’t changed a bit. Till this day there is a race above another, and those of a darker complexion, have been forced to live in a world that judges them for being who they are. Sadly many people with this mentality rise to power, and they use that power to hurt and murder innocent people of color. And why do they do this? Because they can get away with it, with out consequences. They use media outlets to excuse their savage ways, by putting shame on the name of the deceased. Their hatred towards another race is such to a high extent, that they couldn’t let the loved ones of Dorismond mourn in peace. I believe the funeral shouldn’t have turned into such a war, but its so much a person can take. It so much a culture can take , its just so much a whole race can take until they can’t take it anymore. Eventually they have to fight back because being passive is no longer working. Year by year more and more African American people are being killed by police officers, police officers that don’t pay for their crime and give no valid reason for their actions. So as stated in this essay, “In the words of Georgetown’s profit Walter Rodney: “the revolution will be as peaceful as possible and as violent as necessary.”
This article is very interesting and educating. Reading down this article it servers as a prove to me once again that the white police brutality and racism to black men and women are not yet over. This incidence happened 15 years ago and till date nothing has be done to show that blacks life matter. The killing of Patrick Dorismond and many other black men and women wasn’t necessary, the worst part is that the police will 98% of the time got away with it.
This is a sad story, this kind of behavior towards blacks in the United State of American have been going on for a very long time. Racial profile and racism are making their lives impossible to live. i believe things need to change, in order to preformed and keep our time here in the earth a better place for us and for our future generation.
I think that this article reflects our reality today. As a society we need to take action and come together to defend our rights. When we unite we become stronger and the people in power and authority needs to listen to the voice of the people asking for a fair solution.
-Sergio Bermudez
The unlawful police brutality is a historical action that has delivered much social harm for the oppressed communities in the USA. they are Fed up and seek change, even if it means going against rules, on recent news 49’s QB; Colin Kaepernick made the decision to sit during the US national anthem as his own protest on of the way blacks are treated in America, even if it cost him dealer as an NFL player. This relates to this article because Patrick Dorismond was a man, a father of a one year old girl, and a married husband. He was coerced and harassed by undercover NYPD officers with nothing less than the intention to bring in in a on a black man that night on his died. Law enforcement are supposed to uphold the law and regulations in order to stop social harms from happening, instead police officers target, and the prey is black men . Recently sitting at work during break, I saw a video on the internet showing how foreign countries are now responding to the recent actions of mass police killings across the America.With airline Flights now warning Black male men to be cautious when dealing with law enforcement in America advising proceed with discretion as death is very possible . The Day Flatbush exploded was in the year 2000 a time some would argue that violence,drugs, and corruption was a lot worse than today, society has become comfortable with letting police get off criminally and rather have taxpayers pay off families to keep social obedience. I ask is this the country we want? 49’s QB: Kaepernick wasn’t wrong for sitting during the national anthem, he was making a statement, “stop killing my people now” black folks are tired of dealing with the same problem, now with technology advancing it inevitable for the gov’t to silence all.. The same way our only weapon is: The ancestors, mobilization is what government fears from people, ability to unite is a powerful tool and can be effective when done correctly. With groups like Black Lives Matter utilizing internet and social media sources to educate people on the historical as well as current struggles black folks face. I would like to think we are moving towards a more revolution of true equality, but only with more support from the average person is it possible of happening.
Reference:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/us-travel-warning_us_57828da2e4b0344d514fc63f
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3176
I agree with Dulce. The system fails to protect those that continue to face police brutality. Exactly when will enough be enough? What intrigues me the most is how this small Haitian community in Brooklyn came together and rebelled against the NYPD. Their actions showed that they will not be silenced. And today as the social injustice continues so does the unity of the black community.
I honestly was not surprised by these events, simply because we see this police brutality displayed all over social media and still the culprits are not being reprimanded for their actions.
why being black is a crime.
kill, kill, kill, we have the power.
police officer, police officer, police.
Why do Blacks do not feel safe with police officer.
Police against African Americans.
police are stained with our bloods.
our bothers and sisters come for a better life, America the opportunity for a better life so then why find death.
racism, racism, fight, fight,fight, against police which is still current but cannot be seen.
police, police, police, police-officer can not breath.
as a Harlem & black community do not trust NYC Police Department do not trust.
Travern Martin, Travern Martin, Travern Martin.
police officers have been seen to society with the most power and a hero but where are there humanity towards the African American.
black lives do matter, black lives do matter.
to all my fallen bothers and sister we will continue the fight for you.
A disturbing number appeared to pose no immediate threat to their killers yet unarmed people being shot, beaten and even suffocated to death by officers, continue to make headlines, despite an almost continuous public outcry. The growing use of personal and dashboard cameras by Police Services has exposed just how widespread the problem is and provide the evidence needed to take some rogue police officers to court. Yet, after so many years of Patrick Dorismond incidents; police brutality still continues.
Moreove, this shows that this is one of the many reasons certain communities have lost all trust in how the legal system works. The killing of people in this country has become a routine, something normal. It seems that human life is ceasing to be the most valued human right. “One, Two” and just like that the person is dead.
This article was uplifting and yet it was written because the death of Patrick Dorismond was
another slap in the face to human beings. Patrick Dorismond’s death brought about a unity
that must be fufilled in order to survive. What happen then is still happening now. Together we must speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves anymore. Protest can be peaceful, but when passion and pain are intertwined a message will be sent.
They heavily police our homes schools, and place of businesses. We only demand respect and the residents of flatbush that day intended to take it after all that happened.