Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Where's The Outrage? #BlackLivesMatter

So, Walter Palmer, the American dentist charged in the killing of Cecil, Africa's "most famous lion" has reportedly gone into hiding.

Good. Stay there.

Now, I am not a gun person, y’all know that, and I am not a fan of hunting, and killing, for sport, though I understand some folks like to hunt for their food. Me? I hunt for food at my local Publix, but, again, that’s just me.

And I am outraged at what this so-called human being did, luring the animal out of his [protected area, using a tranquilizing dart t numb the animal so he could hunt it and kill it, and then take a selfie smiling over a dead animal.

And them realizing he was bused, and about to have the wrath of the world on his head when he learned Cecil was microchipped, the dentist cut off the lion’s head to save his own hide.

I’m sickened but … I am also sickened by the rash of Facebook posts and memes and shares and likes about the dentist and what an awful human being he is and what a horrible thing he did to that animal.

Where is the outrage for Sandra Bland, a black woman,  who spent three days in jail — before she killed herself — for a traffic stop?
Where was the outrage for Trayvon Martin,  a young black teenager murdered by a white man because of a hoodie?
Where was the outrage for Michael Brown, a black man, shot to death by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri?
Dontre Hamilton, a black man, shot 14 times by a police officer in Milwaukee after a call that Hamilton, a paranoid schizophrenic, was disturbing the peace
John Crawford, a black man, shot and killed by a police officer in an Ohio Wal-Mart while carrying a toy BB gun
Ezell Ford, an unarmed mentally ill black man, shot three times, including once in the back, by a white police officer
Tanisha Anderson, a black woman, who died after officers in Cleveland slammed her head into the pavement while taking her into custody
Akai Gurley, a black man, unarmed, but shot and killed by a police officer while climbing a stairwell with his girlfriend
Tamir Rice, a black boy, shot and killed by Cleveland police after they mistook his toy gun for a real weapon — he was twelve years old
Rumain Brisbon, a black man,  shot and killed by a Phoenix police officer who mistook a pill bottle for a weapon
Tony Robinson, a black man, unarmed, but shot and killed by a Madison police officer responding to reports of someone disrupting traffic
Eric Harris, a black man, shot and killed by a reserve deputy officer who mistook his own gun for a Taser
Walter Scott, a black man, shot and killed by a police officer while running away from a traffic stop for a broken taillight
Freddie Gray, a black man, who died of a spinal cord injury a week after he was arrested by Baltimore police
Sam DuBose, a black man, unarmed, but shot and killed by University of Cincinnati police officer during a traffic stop
Eric Garner, a black man, strangled to death for selling loose cigarettes on the street.








Where’s that outrage? The Facebook petitions, the memes, the protests, the questions?

Like I said, that dentist killing that lion was disgusting, and sick and twisted, but where the outrage for the human lives taken on our own streets every single day, many times with no apparent reason or cause.

I need some outrage. I am outraged that Walter Palmer murdered that lion for sport, but I am even more outraged that Black Americans are being murdered on our streets and we don't seem to be bothered.

I need some outrage.

9 comments:

  1. i fully agree-

    i feel terrible that a majestic animal died, but i feel worse that white people care more about this than the number of african american citizens who have died at the hands of the police.

    peace officer? to protect and to serve? whose peace do they protect? whom do they truly serve?

    xxalainaxx

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  2. Anonymous10:22 AM

    Can't we have outrage for the needless killing of an animal without including everyone under the sun?

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  3. Humans are supposed to be reasonable, measured and empathic --regardless there are always three sides to every story.

    There was no side with the lion.

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  4. great post, great post

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  5. Whenever anyone compares the death of an animal (particularly in such a needless and painful manner, and merely for 'entertainment') with the death(s) of some human(s), although I DO feel for the latter (of course I do!) I always experience an extra punch about the animal's demise simply because, for some reason, they push different, more sensitive 'buttons' in my psyche. Perhaps I should experience guilt about my mental priorities (which I don't) and I ought to visit a psychiatrist. I'm with both Anon and Dog's Ma, above, on this one.

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  6. Why are people being arrested for minor traffic violations? Why not just give them a ticket? Or is that the white option and the black option is arrest or death or both depending on the officer's mood at the time. The premature death of anyone at any time is to be deplored, but death at the hands of someone sworn to protect you is......words fail me. As you say, where is the outrage. And yes I was angered that Cyril, or Cecil or whatever his name was, was killed. But I feel far more anger at the death of Trayvon Martin, still unavenged, than I do about a lion.

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  7. Anonymous9:10 PM

    once again, amazing. and once again, with your permission, i'd like to repost.

    we, as global citizens, have to keep our media outlets accountable for how they present their narrative. NBC was corrected on twitter by a 19 year old for posting an old, unrelated mugshot of Sam Dubose next to a shot of the cop that killed him, smiling!

    same as the short-lived (thank god) minaj v. swift incident. media was showing a smiling sweet faced taylor with an ill timed pic of nicki presenting her as the "angry black woman."

    stay woke, everyone. sometimes it's blatant which is easier to catch, but it's the subtly nuanced shit you have to watch for.

    cheers.

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  8. Anonymous9:12 PM

    #BlackLivesMatter

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  9. @KEVolution!
    And once again, please feel free to share !

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