Black and Blue

My blog post today is literally about one thing and one thing only. There's nothing else besides this I want to address and I want it to be very clear that there is only one point I'm wanting to make.

I've seen a number of good people post things since our latest wave of police violence against people of color that - in a nutshell - says that when you run away from the police, you should be prepared to die. 

Because if you don't comply with law enforcement, you deserve whatever happens to you.

Here is the one thing I would like to say to that.

I understand what you think it is you're saying. I understand that when someone runs from law enforcement, the natural and logical assumption by those police and/or other enforcement personnel is that you've done something wrong and that they better catch your ass quick.

I really do understand that. 

Aside from actually knowing good, honest people in uniform, I also just get how A + B = C. 

This is the perspective I would like to share with you, though. And I'm hoping that because you're logical and caring people that you'll give my point of view a chance before dismissing it outright. 

People of color have been discriminated against a lot. Flamingly violent racists aside, we can agree on that I think. And in addition to that discrimination being your general institutional and establishment racism (racism based on policy and practice), it has also come in the form of violence. 

A lot of violence.

And it's uncomfortable but I think we really need to face that right now.

People of color have had violence practiced upon them solely for their race for hundreds of years. In order to bring them to this country, we chained them. We chained them to boats. We chained them to each other. We put men and women who weren't criminals in chains and then forced them to do our work for us. 

Those people were beaten on a daily basis, perhaps even an hourly basis. Because of their skin. They were whipped. Because of their skin. They were raped. A lot. Because of their skin. They were tortured. Because of their skin. 

People of color have been hanged. Because of their skin. They've been lynched because of their skin. They've been set on fire. Because of their skin. They've been beheaded. Because of their skin. They've been drawn and quartered. Because of their skin. They've been tied to car bumpers and dragged, the modern day drawing and quartering. Because of their skin.

People of color have been stabbed because of their skin. People of color have been shot because of their skin. People of color have been brutalized because of their skin.

At a rate so astoundingly high that it should silence the voices of anyone that would like to imply that people of all races have had these problems. 

And the thing is, law enforcement has not been innocent of these crimes. Not when slavery first took hold, not when segregation was being challenged and not now. I am in no way saying that every law enforcement officer is guilty. Not at all. No way and no how. 

But some are a problem. 

Some have always been a problem.

And we, as white people, have not done enough historically and currently to eradicate these demons from our bevy of protectors. I'm sorry but we just haven't. We get too defensive when the topic is brought up, letting our guilt take over and allowing us to continue on practicing in a racist world. 

And now, because of it, we're at the motherfucking crossroads of all crossroads. Cause this is where we've ended up (and this here is my blog point):

When people of color see a law enforcement official with a gun in their hands, at their hip or even just in their holster, it is just like seeing anyone else off the street in possession of a gun. And, be honest, if someone you don't know approaches you with a weapon, you're going to be beyond uneasy. If they look like they mean business with that weapon when they call for your attention, that weapon starts to look bigger and bigger and badder and badder. 

We need to understand that in a lot of cases people of color are operating their daily lives with a severe case PTSD. Their entire history as a people, since the white man came into their lives, has been traumatic. Every step to reclaiming their freedom has been traumatic. And their "free" existence now continues to be traumatic. 

We cannot expect them to look at the world with the same eyes we do, for we have not been through the same things. Yes, some Caucasian people do not feel safe around police and other paid protectors, the same way that some people of color have been raised in an environment that sees them as people before seeing them as a demographic and therefore see the police as the good guys most of them are. 

But neither of these is the norm. 

And we need to understand that. 

We need to understand that there is a long history of violence that leads us to the fears that still linger today. When we have a friend or loved one that's a victim of abuse, we understand that people that remind them of their abuser can cause them to feel excruciating fear and have a desperate need to get away to safety. And we need to start looking at our current situation this way. We need to start understanding that people in uniform have one connotation for some people while having an entirely different connotation for others and these connotations are crucial to our ability to function as a civilized society. 

I'm very aware that there are situations that fall out of these parameters (like the fact that it seems we have people of color complying and still being killed) but, as I said earlier, I wanted to focus my blog on this one very specific topic. 

We say if people run from the police, they deserve whatever they get. But we forget that it's really not that simple. 

And we need to really work together as a country to stop this violence now before it grows even further. Before the United States becomes bedlam and we lose more good people and good law enforcement. Because, here's the thing...

Police officers and others in uniform are beginning to feel like they're being judged for the clothes they have on and not for who they actually are. 

They're starting to feel like people see them coming and automatically make negative judgements about them.

Police officers are even more afraid for their lives than normal because they think someone might shoot them either out of fear, anger or just because. 

Police officers are starting to feel like people of color. 

And when people who are required to carry and be skilled at using weaponry start feeling like they're backed into a corner, our country will be the bloodied victim. And we will have no one but ourselves to blame. 

Questions

Normally, I like to think that I have all the answers. Although I certainly haven't fooled myself into thinking I'm an astronaut or rocket scientist, I do like to think that I know stuff. I do well at Jeopardy. My educated guesses are pretty right on. I tend to figure out who the killer is pretty early in movies or tv shows. And I pick up things fairly quickly, in general. Basically, I'm awesome. 

But, this isn't that kind of blog post. 

Cause there are just some things that I don't understand. 

Like, superficial judgement. Whether it has do to with your race or gender or physical appearance, whatever. I don't get superficial judgement. I don't understand how just by looking at me, you think you know me. Skinny and fat shaming fall into this category. Thinking people with tattoos are somehow less responsible would fit into this one too. I mean, I just mentioned that I think I'm smart and yet I can promise you that those things don't help me determine what you're like. How the fuck do I know what you're like until I actually talk to you?

And another one. Religion. Judging people on their religion, I just don't understand. I mean, fuck off. If you know anything about the major religions we've got going on, you know that they're pretty similar in the things they preach. Sure, the stories they use are different but the morals tend to be very close to one another. So, why aren't religious people just happy that there are other religious people out there? Why aren't they happy that so many other people share their thoughts on how to live their life while they're here? Why isn't being a person of faith something that draws those people together instead of dividing them so significantly so often? 

And along those same lines, why is it that people are so intent on mixing religion and government? The same people that are constantly talking about how the second amendment is woven in gold and shouldn't have any limits of any kind have no problem disregarding freedom of religion and separation of church and state. How can you claim that one amendment is more important than another like that? And if you start reminding me that there isn't much ahead of the right to bear arms in the constitution, I'll remind you that freedom of religion is one of those that is. So given that, why does anyone think it's okay to force their religion on anyone else? I don't care how good you think yours is, faith and religion are very personal things and to tell anyone that you should be in charge of how they show their faith and choose to worship is criminal and a personal violation. 

Nextly (Yes, I know that's not a word, so what), why is it so fucking hard for some people to put themselves in someone else's shoes? Do we really need to have experienced something in order to be able to determine whether something is shitty or not? How is it that so many people can willfully ignore real problems and issues just because it isn't affecting them directly? How does it not cause them actual pain to see others in pain? How is this not a thing that everyone deals with? 

Also, why is it the initial reaction of so many to blame the victim? Is the idea of a broken system or fallen hero so horrifying to you that you would chose to stick your head in the sand, or worse, blame the injured party just in order to sleep better at night? And why isn't blaming the victim keeping you awake? Why does ignoring a real problem put some at ease instead of fighting for what's right? I understand that ignorance is bliss but what about an outright refusal to admit what you have to know deep down? Is that bliss as well? 

And are there really that many people out there that actually think that their race is a superior race? Cause sometimes it really seems like there are still a lot of people out there like that. Is that just a magnification of the terrible the way that tends to happen with the media or is that still a significant percentage of people? And for those people who truly believe this, how is that even possible? How can anyone actually think that one race is better than another? How can pigmentation mean so fucking much? 

And to that same end, are there also really people out there that think one gender is better than another? Do some feminists really believe women are better than men? Do other people really think that the majority of feminists have this warped view? Do some men really believe that they deserve to earn more for the same level of work? And are there really both men and women who think that the man should be the head of the household and the woman be subservient? And I don't mean just having traditional roles, I mean actually thinking that the man is the boss of the woman, as if husband replaces father and woman stays a child. 

Here's another: do most people really believe that their country is better than every other country and the people in it? Do most Americans really believe that they're better than other people from other places? And not your standard, respectful patriotism but the actual belief that being American means being better? And is the state of our country today not giving you pause in this belief system?

Question: are there really people out there that think that we can make life better for anyone through hate? Are there really people who don't view hate as a disease that needs to be eradicated? Are there really people left in this world who don't realize that hate destroys the soul, poisons the heart and decays the brain?

And with that same thought in mind, how does hurting other people not make some people feel terrible inside? How does causing pain in others not make some people wither inside? How can you cause tears in another and not feel a part of you die inside? And how does it seem like some people thrive on this feeling? How can it be that some people get energy from the destruction they cause in others? I was a dick to a guy in the drive-thru of an Arby's in Los Angeles about five to seven years ago and I still haven't been able to let it go. I was wrong and I was a dick and my friend told me so and I still feel bad. How is it that there are some people who don't work this way? 

And finally, how is it that for some people a stranger's own personal experiences and life choices are so deeply offensive? This one really fucks me up -- I just don't get it. I just don't understand. And if there's someone out there that this is true for, please, I beg you -- educate me. How is someone else's life experience -- someone that you don't know, someone who has no bearing on your life -- how do their actions and how does their life, in general, become so violently offensive to you? Why do you feel it's your place to watch them, judge them and then attempt to eviscerate them from afar just because you disagree with the way they classify themselves or the way feel they have to live their life in order to be true to themselves? And you know exactly what I'm talking about here, not serial killing, not theft or torture -- but choosing to become a more whole person, from their own perspective. How do you feel it's your place to take a very real and very painful situation and try to crush the person struggling with their own identity?

So these are just some of the questions I have. These are some of the things I've been struggling with, both lately and for a lot of my life. And sometimes it just gets tiring to try and try and try to come up with answers when it seems like so many people don't have any desire to actually come up with solutions. So, instead I wanted to share my questions and struggles with you, knowing that there are other people out there that have the same things going around in their minds. Maybe together we can work some things out.

Dr. StrangeRug or How I Learned I Could Be Trump's Speechwriter

I thought we could all use a laugh right about now, so here is my take on Donald Trump's upcoming speech at the Republican National Convention. 

This blog post is in honor of the most excellent decision that Sherwin Williams made to not remove the LeBron James/Cleveland Cavaliers Championship banner from their global headquarters for the Republican National Convention, July 18-21. 

And, away we go (fill in all hand gestures, signs of enthusiasm and general psychotic behavior in your heads)...

"When I heard that the RNC chose Cleveland to host their convention, I was a little unsure. Listen, listen. I'm not gonna lie, I was skeptical. Things weren't great here -- you know it, I know it, we all know it. 

But you know what this city did? You know what brilliant, beautiful thing the people of this city did? They went back to their roots. They went back to their roots and got a hometown guy -- a guy -- a person -- who would rightfully care more about this city than anyone else, right? Right. And you know what they did? They made their city great again. 

You saw that coming, right? Yeah, I can't pull one over on you. Let me say it again though, cause it's so good. It's just so good. They MADE their city GREAT AGAIN. 

And what happened? Well, we all know what happened. We all got on board, amiright? I'm right! Of course, I'm right. We all got on board and Ayesha Curry shut up finally and people enjoyed it. They loved it. Believeland took over. That's what I kept hearing. Believeland. Everywhere, Believeland, right? Genius. Just geniuses these people are and what they did. 

They made their city great again.

And that's why I've always been a big fan of Cleveland. BIG fan! Cause you know, Cleveland, it's just like America. It is, it is! I'm right! You know, I'm right! I'm right so often, I'm almost sick of being right! I'm just kidding, being this right all the time is great. But anyway so Cleveland, you know like America, it's had -- it's had some trouble. It has, you know it has. It had a few years where things weren't looking great, there. Rivers caught on fire. They lost jobs and things. They lost their football team. It just -- it wasn't great.

But, here's the thing, you know what? Cleveland -- it didn't lose hope. Never. Not once. And you know why? Cause winners never lose hope. Never. Why? Cause they know they can still win. And you did. You knew that and you saw it and you didn't give up. You saw what needed to be done and you did it. And that's what winners do. 

You know, you welcomed LeBron back even though -- you know -- there were some hurt feelings. He left. He needed to do his thing. And that's great. That's great. He's a champ. He did what he had to do. But then he decided he wanted to make his home team GREAT AGAIN. And that's -- well basically, that's just like me -- that's what I'm doing. That's what I'm doing here.

I'm like the LeBron of business and politics. Of country-running. Or really, he's like the Donald Trump of basketball. That sounds better, right? More accurate. Besides, I was here first. I'm just saying, I was. 

And you know, I've had success. A lot of success. BIG success! You know it. Some might say I'm a business CHAMP. I don't know, I'm just saying, those are words I've heard. And now I'm just trying to help my home team. I don't have to do this. You know, that's the thing. Here's the thing. Here's the real thing, folks. I don't have to do this. I don't. You know I don't. You all know me. You know I don't have to do this. I could still just be the greatest business mogul in the world. It's a good job. I won't lie. It's good. You've seen my plane, right?! 

But instead, I've decided to use my championship business sense for our country. Can you imagine that? Can you just imagine if our country did as well as my businesses? Can you imagine if I did to our country what I did for television with The Apprentice? You remember NBC before me, right? And now that I'm not there anymore? You hear the jokes. Nobody watches. It's true. It's true. 

But, come on, it's so easy. It's almost too easy. Cause see, like I said, like everyone says, I'm very good. I'm very good at what I do. And now I've decided to make America what I do. Really just imagine it. Cause it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing, I tell you. 

But, you know, some people are going to try and stop it. I know, I know, boo, boo. But they are, they are. They've already started. They're going to make up things and spread lies and all the stuff that losers do. Like little Ayesha Curry -- Bitter Ayesha -- right, Cleveland? And these losers, they're going to take to Twitter and try and make it seem like they're really winning. And don't get me wrong, I love Twitter. I'm the KING of Twitter! My tweets -- have you read them? They're good. That's all I'm going to say. They're very good. 

But these people, like Bitter Ayesha and Crooked Hillary and Pocahontas Elizabeth Warren, they're going to try to distract people from the real issues with their silly, little tweets. "Delete your account?" So juvenile. So juvenile. And these people are supposed to lead our country. I mean, can you imagine If I left Twitter? People would go crazy! People would, I don't know, maybe revolt, if I left Twitter. They love me. They love my tweets! So good, right?! 

But we all know what's really going on here. We all know what those girls are up to. I mean ladies -- they get so touchy when you don't call them ladies, amiright? Very PC stuff. Right? I'm right, right? You know I'm right. We can't say anything anymore. Everyone's so touchy about everything. Everyone takes offense at everything. You can't use a sherif's badge in a tweet without having people say you're anti-Semitic. Ridiculous -- the Jews love me! Are you kidding me? I have Jew friends. Look at the businesses I'm in! I know lots of Jews. But you can't say anything anymore.

But these losers, cause that's what they are -- and to prove it, they're going to lose in November, just watch -- these losers, they're just trying to distract from what we really need to do in this country. With their Planned Parenthoods and their gun laws. With their political correctness and their sit-ins -- they're just trying to keep us from doing what really needs to be done. 

And that's what losers do. I know. I've seen a lot of them. They're always at the other end of the table when I make my best business moves. So, I know losers. No one knows losers like winners. Right? Am I right? Of course, I am. But that's what losers do. That's all they can do. They can't win so they try to pretend like they're not losers and try to convince the rest of us that they're not losers, too.

But here's the good thing, folks. You've got me. You've got The Donald. You've picked the right team -- the winning team. I'm a winner. That's all there is to it. I'm a winner. I'm THE winner. 

So, I think it's -- it's like fate stepped in or magic, maybe. I don't do the magic but you can ask my good friend Penn Gillett. I bet he'd say it was magic. That here I am -- A Life Champion --in Cleveland, Ohio -- the new American Champion to make America Great Again. You know what it is, I bet Cleveland read The Art of the Deal. It's very good. Very helpful. Amazing for winners! We have some around the convention center. There are tables. It's very good. Cleveland's read it. Then they took their city back.  

So I think that it's perfect that here -- right here -- in CLEVELAND, OHIO, where the tide just turned after 50 years of taking it from these other people -- these people that thought they we're nothing. And here's the thing, folks. That's what all these people think of us. They think we're nothing. They think we're fools. They think they can come here and mess with us and that we won't do anything in return.  And that's what the losers, that's what the losers want us to do. Nothing. Or worse, just hand everything over to them. Can you imagine?

You won't have to if they had their way.

But, guess what, folks? We're gonna do this thing! Cause you've got The Champ. You've got The Winner's Winner, here. And here in the GREAT Cleveland, Ohio, we're going to tell the WORLD that we're back! That America is back! And you know what we're gonna do? We're gonna MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!!!!!!"

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

How can you see this and not be sick?

How can you watch the video and not weep openly with grief?

How can you hear the stories and continue to deny the reality?

#AntonSterling

#PhilandoCastile

#FalconHeightsShooting

How can you sit on your couch, watch your tv, play with your kids, eat your microwave dinner, stare at your phone, do your squats, pick your Snapchat filter...and continue to pretend that our country isn't in crisis? 

How can you be silent?

Does your life need to be in danger for you to feel the fear and outrage of others?

Can you not find sympathy, if empathy isn't there?

Do you think your silence means nothing as those around you die in the street?

Are you incapable of understanding racism is still real? Do you think if you deny it, it will disappear? 

Tell me, what's the difference between a man being lynched and one being gunned down? Tell me which is worse, killing underneath a white hood and sheet or killing wearing blue and a badge of steel? 

Why is it that when these things occur, we continue to talk about the dangerous lives of police and not the dangers of being non-white? Why do we immediately scream that there are good cops out there instead of understanding that the people hurting those good cops the most are the bad ones killing unjustly? 

Why are we blaming the victims for the acts of the abusers? The killers? The rapists?

Why?

Our country will never be whole like this.

Our country will never recover like this.

Our country will never prosper like this.

For even if certain people prosper, we as a whole will fail. And those that prosper on the backs of the victims will reap the crops that they sow. They will live an eternity in despair, loneliness and emptiness. They may feel no pain now but they will. 

And they may never know it. 

They may never realize the fate they brought on themselves. 

They may never understand what they have brought into their lives. 

They may believe their hearts are full but until they can access their whole heart, pieces will lay empty and eventually, like all living things left to darkness and nothingness, will rot and die away.

Do not sacrifice your heart for your pride. The one pales infinitely more than the other. 

Good people need to speak out.

Kind, caring people need to spread their love. For there are people who are feeling nothing but fear and pain and outrage who need to know that they're not alone. 

And we need to say we see reality.

This is not just one people's fight. 

This is not an area where we should say, "it's none of our business." 

It is our business. 

It's the business of anyone with a heart, a soul and a conscience. 

Yes, this is a race issue. But that doesn't mean that only one race can fix this. How is that even possible when we are all involved? 

Yes, #AllLivesMatter but missing the point on purpose is helping no one. Don't be that person. Don't be the person that takes someone's pain and makes it a pithy retort. Don't take someone else's reality and warp it to fit your own, knowing full well that your realities are vastly different.

Don't watch innocent people die and instead of crying with their loved ones, immediately start defending their killers. 

These are things we've always heard about. When we lived in a world of oral history and games of telephone, we heard about it after the fact. But we don't live there anymore. We live in a world of YouTube and Twitter, of Periscope and Facebook, of live streaming and digital uploads...and we're seeing our history being made. 

Please don't sit still. Please don't stay quiet. Please don't watch and wait. 

Please be scared of what will happen if good people do nothing. Please worry about what indifference does to us as a people. Please speak out. Please send love. Please tell those who are genuinely afraid that you see their pain. Please, tell them that they won't be ignored anymore. 

Please. 

Be kind. 

Be supportive.

Be active.

Be a voice that heals.