I can’t breathe.
The last words of Eric Garner. “I can’t breathe” now enters the lexicon along with “Hands up, don’t shoot” as symbolic of the struggles of black America against the forces that are supposed to be protecting all of us.
Jon Stewart reacted without the usual snark we expect from him. Instead, he was serious. Dead serious.
He’s not the only one who couldn’t find the words… words other than “I can’t breathe.”
Someone who spoke eloquently following the decision was NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is a white Italian-American married to an African-American woman with two black kids – one of them a male teenager. De Blasio took the decision personally.
The New York Times has a simple, to-the-point graphic depiction of just what happened on July 17 that led to Eric Garner’s death.
Sadly, it seems as if the police are just getting increasingly defensive rather than admitting they have a problem.
I’m glad people protested peacefully last night. I hope it continues in a peaceful manner, and that the crowds grow exponentially with each passing day. The only way we can make the point that things have to change is if we all get involved to say “NO MORE.”
I’ll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week, radio or not….
