George Floyd and the white policing of protest

Like the rest of decent humanity, I was once again shamed, horrified, and offended by the murder of yet another Black man at the hands of white police. A police officer who literally kneeled on an already handcuffed and compliant George Floyd's neck while he cried that he couldn't breathe. He kneeled there with his hands casually in his pocket for NINE minutes. The last 3 of which were silent because George Floyd was already dead. Three other officers stood by and either did nothing, or actively held a protesting crowd back from the scene.

Cooped up, at high-risk for coronavirus, I feel helpless. I can't attend any protests, although I admire and pray for those who are. They not only risk their lives in confronting police brutality, but also in potentially contracting coronavirus. In my desire to participate, I've found myself amplifying Black voices on twitter and fending off all the Karens fretting about the lack of civility in protesting on Facebook. And that is what I want to talk about today. Protests.

Here is the scene at the Michigan state house 2 weeks ago. Armed white men stormed the capitol and were met by police in facemasks. No riot gear. No arrests. No shooting rubber bullets or pepper bullets or REAL bullets at the protesters. Because we completely allow and love white protest. Even when it's just about wanting to eat at the local Cracker Barrel and get your beehive hairstyle redone.

Protest moves inside Michigan Capitol. Crowd attempts to get onto Hoise floor. Lots of Michigan State Police and House sergeants at arms blocking door. pic.twitter.com/4FNQpimP4W

— Rod Meloni (@RodMeloni) April 30, 2020

But we just don't allow Black or economically disadvantaged or anyone who is not white to protest. No form of Black protest is acceptable to white America. Colin Kaepernick silently took a knee. Unacceptable. Tommie Smith and John Carlos silently raised their fists. Unacceptable. John Lewis and MLK marched peacefully across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Unacceptable.

We tell Black people they should peacefully protest, but when they do, we tell them that's not an appropriate way to protest. We tell them kneeling isn't an appropriate way to protest. We tell them raising their fists in solidarity isn't an appropriate way to protest. We tell them marching isn't an appropriate way to protest. We tell them silence isn't an appropriate way to protest. We tell them shouting isn't an appropriate way to protest. We tell them violence isn't an appropriate way to protest.

There is literally no way for Black and other POC to protest that white people and society deem acceptable.

That the riots in most cities were started by white people - in many cases, suspected white nationalists aimed at provoking police into killing Black protesters - has not escaped my notice. Though it seems to have conveniently escaped Bill Barr's.

No meaningful and lasting social change in the history of humanity has ever come from peaceful protest. Name one. I'll wait.

*taps toe*
*crickets*

How do you think our country was founded? The destruction of saleable goods was at the heart of the tea party protest. The goddamn Revolutionary War was a violent protest that was met with violence from the establishment.

You're either dumb or dishonest if you don't think we like violent protest here in America. What we don't like is violent protest by people of color.

We need to SIT DOWN and LISTEN when Black and other POC tell us their experiences. And we need to believe them. Because not believing them means we just don't care about their experiences. And not caring about their experiences means we do nothing to change those experiences. And that is what causes them to protest.

“If you, as a White person, would be happy to receive the same treatment that our Black citizens do in this society, please stand.” pic.twitter.com/dFN6frQnZn

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 30, 2020

And can we white people make a pact? We don't get to pull MLK out of our asses every time we either want Black people to do as we say (stop violently protesting!) or when we want to appear to be an ally (MLK day). Also, we don't get to whitesplain to MLK's children what their father stood for. That is all.

It is incumbent on white people to fix this racist system we created. Blacks and other POC did not create the system. It is not up to them to fix it.

I think it's not incumbent upon POC to fix this. Even if that POC is a former president. That's what I think. https://t.co/bbRs8IrYzj

— (((Lori))) (@mctclover) May 30, 2020

Black people are telling us our institutionally racist system is killing them and we don't listen and we don't care. They've been asking nicely for 500 years for us to stop killing them. I'm not Black, but I have empathy and a conscience. And I will not sit idly by if I have the chance to speak out.

Sitting idly by is tacit approval and participation. Silence is complicity.

History will document this, just as it did the civil rights movement. Just as it did the Holocaust. I don't want history to show I did nothing. So I fully support the protesters in their cause and in their right to protest in whatever way will make them heard.

A reminder:

Suspected forgery is not punishable by death.
Sleeping in your own bed is not punishable by death

Jogging is not punishable by death.
Wearing a hoodie is not punishable by death
Playing loud music in your car is not punishable by death.
Rolling through a stop sign is not punishable by death.
Selling cigarettes (legal or otherwise) is not punishable by death.
Walking on the street in your (or any) neighborhood is not punishable by death.
Asking for someone to leash their dog is not punishable by death (although Central Park Karen sure thought it should be and did her damn best)

George Floyd was silently and brutally murdered. His life matters. Black lives matter.

Photo via Offices of Ben Crump Law
by way of NYT

image: @GracieLeeArt

Being Black is not punishable by death.