Comments on: Color of Change – Speak Out on Oscar Grant & BART Shooting

By: BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet

BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:10:22 +0000

Hello there,

I am sorry that Oscar Grant lost his life... it was a horrific tragedy for that police officer to shoot him dead in cold blood. None of the officers standing near reacted with any emotion or remorse!

Still... I am disturbed when a ghetto thug becomes a martyr in his death. Oscar Grant and his friends were engaged with police because they were fighting on the darn train on New Year's Eve!!

I am not implying that fighting on the train warrants and execution but I think that it is so disconcerting for all of the blogs to focus on the murder and NOT EVEN mention that Oscar Grant had a criminal record, had been incarcerated repeatedly and was a menace to society (in some respects).

His mother said he was trying to turn his life around... maybe he was... but he certainly wasn't showing that commitment to reform his life by fighting on the train.

Every time I read about another legalized murder of a black man or black person - or any person for that matter - it makes my blood boil. I am also angered when criminals place themselves in a position to encounter the police.

Do I feel that Oscar Grant would have been alive today if he had NOT been figthing on the train? Yes... perhaps he would have been.

I am not blaming the victim for police murder.

But I also do not believe this thug (or recovering thug, depending on who you ask!) should be martyred as though he died like Malcolm X....

By: BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet

BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:10:22 +0000

By: Doglover

Doglover — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:01:01 +0000

There will be a demonstration at Oakland's City Hall tomorrow Jan 14th, and I will be there. I am 55 yrs. old and have a 26 yr old son. This could have been my child killed at the hands of a racist police officer who is now being protected by the establishment. I am sick and tired of our kids being shot down like dogs. This would never happen to a white kid even if he verbally or physically threatened a police officer. Enough is Enough. We the people need to hold police officers accountable. This killer cannot be allowed to go free.

By: baratunde aka jack turner

baratunde aka jack turner — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:00:44 +0000

this is one badass post jill. well done and well said. i'll follow this up with a post tomorrow on some more behind the scenes stuff. rock on sis

By: cheryl aka jill tubman

cheryl aka jill tubman — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:32:00 +0000

It's dangerous to edumacate some black folk – you know that's right!

By: cheryl aka jill tubman

cheryl aka jill tubman — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:31:23 +0000

Thanks evita – great idea

By: heartsandflowers

heartsandflowers — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:56:01 +0000

Well, let's hope this police oversight committee that had been previously requested and refused – until now – has some real teeth and people can collectively get some things done. I do know what will come up during a trial of the Officer – if it even comes to pass – is they were called to break up a fight in the first place. It doesn't justify what happened but the outrage of the citizens does require some thought into how men are dressing to look like thugs, how silent people are on the crimes that go on in their neighborhoods, the stop snitching crap and the huge drop out rates of teens. We can't just focus on the actions of the cops and ignore everything else that poisons the environment as well. It could've easily been a Black cop. It's not solely about race. It's about class. It's about behavior.

By: blkjustice

blkjustice — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:40:49 +0000

Wow, Cheryl. Rousseau's social contract?

This is clearly a blog I can get down with.

William

By: Miranda

Miranda — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:18:08 +0000

Can you really prepare a child to interact with a racist irrational person at all, let alone one that's a cop? How can you prepare for what's not rational to start with? My parents taught me to respect authority, whenever I've been stopped, I've been fortunate enough to deal with cops who had some sense even when I had a bad attitude – and I've been stopped in rural areas in AL, GA, FL by white officers that were quite polite to be honest. But I have no idea what happens if I'm stopped and the officer wants to search the car and accuse me of something all out the blue…I really don't.

By: evita

evita — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:16:21 +0000

People post this to your Facebook account! I just hit up 500 people in one swoop.

By: spirit_55z

spirit_55z — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:43:26 +0000

Done. All siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and yes, my 85 year old dad can use the internet. Thanks, so much, for the 411, Jill

By: RachelB

RachelB — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:42:15 +0000

Thank you for posting the links. I live in Oakland, and I don't want a dangerous ex-cop running around.

By: rikyrah

rikyrah — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:50:15 +0000

AFTERNOON THREAD IS UP

By: RonnieB

RonnieB — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:45:46 +0000

Why this happened to a Black young man at an Oakland station, and not a White kid at at a Walnut Creek or Lafayette station is beyond obvious.

So the response from the criminal justice authorities needs to be swift, sure, and free from the kneejerk desire to appease White folks at the expense of Black and Brown folks.

By: womanistmusings

womanistmusings — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:17:59 +0000

A black parent that does not prepare a child to interact with the police is irresponsible. A simple stop could equal death. This is in the post racial world we claim to live in, Black lives are considered all to cheap.

By: Rowdy

Rowdy — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:49:54 +0000

I AM OSCAR GRANT!

I live and work in Oakland and I will contact my local and state representatives and demand justice!

I AM OSCAR GRANT!

By: cheryl aka jill tubman

cheryl aka jill tubman — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:39:45 +0000

thanks blksista!

By: blksista

blksista — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:17:29 +0000

Done and done.