There's a Double-Standard in America

Like most of the nation, I've been keeping up with recent events and the tragic deaths of #GeorgeFloyd, #AhmaudArbery and #BreonnaTaylor. And just like so many others, I'm frustrated, angry, sad, hurt and disgusted by the callousness of their alleged killers.

I only say 'alleged' in the sense that the perpetrators have yet to have their day in court, or be convicted, and up until recently hadn't faced any charges. They also likely would never have been charged without forced transparency. Even with technology, many are rarely held accountable in which seem to be several clear-cut cases.

People are fed up. Colin Kaepernick tried for years to highlight these very injustices that plague our society by simply taking a knee, but pockets of the U.S. lost their collective minds by that peaceful form of protest and both slandered his name and twisted his cause. Kaepernick even got his inspiration from a Green Beret turned NFL player, Nate Boyer. Colin and Nate continue that work today. Yet again, we see what happens when our cries go unheard: protests reach the streets.

Eyewitness accounts, including from ABC15 Arizona's Zach Crenshaw, have observed that these nationwide demonstrations have been overwhelmingly peaceful with organizers imploring non-violence, only to be hijacked by—in his words—"a group of white guys" who sought to escalate a confrontation with Phoenix Police Department by hurling projectiles and causing property damage. Other officials have noticed similar trends coming from outside agitators. Now, I've seen some black people loot in Los Angeles, but anyone who does so, aren't activists. They're merely opportunists taking from others who are truly in pain and transferring it to those shop owners who had nothing to do with it. The treatment by law enforcement of the press documenting the protests also has been utterly despicable.

There's a double-standard that persists in this country. Too often, unarmed black Americans get executed by someone sworn to serve and protect or by racially-motivated vigilantes, while white Americans can commit mass murders and get peacefully taken into custody. The character of the black person is assassinated even after death, their name and reputation sullied, and family history is meticulously scrutinized, somehow as justification for the extrajudicial killing. While white defendants are remembered for being "quiet" or a "lone wolf" and spoken about in terms of how "promising" their future was. We're told not to rush to judgment, but the dead black men and women never get such an opportunity.

I still remember receiving 'The Talk' from my mother about how to interact with the police, if ever stopped. It was before I was even old enough to drive. Why? Because she knows our country's history and we've never fully overcome its original sin. She's feared for my life as a young black male and probably still does. If I have to experience indignities, dehumanizing language or Fourth Amendment violations to ensure my survival, that's all that mattered in her eyes. But, it's exhausting to be perceived as a threat for simply existing. And those same forces fear the phrase #BlackLivesMatter.

It's exhausting to be perceived as a threat for simply existing.

According to a MCSO report, "Hispanic and black drivers were more likely to be held longer or searched by Maricopa County sheriff's deputies than white drivers during traffic stops," writes azcentral.

Just like many others, I have friends in law enforcement. Some are former teammates. I respect the difficulty of their job. We know that all cops aren't bad, but those qualifiers don't matter one bit. Silence is complicity.

We need to seriously address the racial and economic disparities in our society. People of color should not be criminalized for lifestyle and/or identity. Ever. Wrong is wrong and until we collectively stop with the excuses and admit there is a problem, protests will continue. If this makes you uncomfortable, good. Join in and do something about it like some of the officers who've marched and knelt in solidarity with protesters in various cities. We're so much better than this. #BeWell