I Can’t Breathe!

When it comes to race relations in America, we’re losing. That fact has been underscored by the media’s madness in the wake of the Grand Jury announcement last week in Ferguson.

And here we go again. The Grand Jury in Staten Island has returned no indictment for the NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Garner in a chokehold – something specifically prohibited by NYPD guidelines.

The differences between the deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner are many, but so are the similarities.

Both were black men – large black men. Both were killed by police officers – the people who who are charged with the responsibility of protecting citizens, not killing them.

Unlike in the death of Mike Brown which was not captured on video, Eric Garner’s death was captured on video. It’s quite evident that Garner was in distress, yet the cops kept hurting him.

I wonder if Joe Scarborough will be as offended by people crying “I can’t breathe” as he is by a Hands Up Don’t Shoot stance.

The Morning Jerk has been ranting for three days now about the “lies” that form of protest is based on. He’s been lecturing his audience that cops only protect their communities, and that the anyone who doesn’t agree with him is stupid.

Yes, he called you stupid!

I’m sure a lot of people are freaking out cuz they really are just stupid, they don’t understand.

Now, what about the cops who killed Tamir Rice, John Crawford, Ezell Ford, Kajieme Powell, Vonderrit Myers and the countless others whose names we don’t know? Do you expect a different outcome?

Sadly, I don’t. This is a system set up by cops to protect other cops.

I no longer trust them to protect me. I fear for my safety when a cop is around and know that my life is as precarious as their whims. And I’m a white middle-aged woman.

I wanted this post to hold out some hope. Unfortunately, I lost the original post I wrote, and the Garner Grand Jury news broke as I was re-writing it, so this is what you get.

I’m sick to my stomach. To my black brothers and sisters, I’m sorry. I wish I could protect you. I can’t.

This morning on her weekly visit to the show,  Susie Madrak brought us an uplifting story about  Jimmy Greene, the award-winning jazz saxophonist who was able to focus on the beauty in his daughter’s short life instead of allowing the anger about society letting him down in the worst way possible.

Ana Marquez Greene was only six years old and in her first grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary when a crazy person with a gun murdered her and nineteen of her classmates, plus six adults, just 10 days shy of two weeks ago.

Jimmy Greene just released his first album since his daughter’s murder, named Beautiful Life… for her.

Obviously, we need BIG changes. Yesterday, while Detroit was suffering through a blackout because its infrastructure is crumbling, Sen. Bernie Sanders took to the Senate floor to announce his Economic Agenda for America: 12 Steps Forward.

If that’s not inspirational enough for you, listen to the recently-unearthed 1987 EP he recorded, released just this week, We Shall Overcome!

Please run Bernie, run!

I’ll be back tomorrow with some thoughts about the latest miscarriage of justice… radio or not!