Transcript
- I Cant Breathe - July 2020 I am a white male born in '94 and I grew up in several neighborhoods dominantly populated by African Americans. So needless to say I have seen the mistreatment done to them. I've seen the favoritism of being let go by police officers while my friends were "detained" and harassed. I have also been on the other side and been mistreated because of my skin color by the African American population even if I didnt do anything or say anything racist. I have never been a racist in my action or mentality but I would be a liar to say I never said a racial slur or made a racist joke. For this reason, -hate breeds more hate-. I personally believe the opposite -Love breeds more Love- is our solution to this. Its going to take more than one year or generation to fix this. As we've seen throughout history it has got a lot better since the day of the American Colonies, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and many other now including George Floyd. As good as it is now compared to then, its still not good enough! Rodney King and the riots that followed wasn't enough to teach people of authority to not Abuse their Power. The Evidence of that is the repeat of history in George Floyd. Its wasnt enough then and it wont be enough now even with the riots and protest. We as a people not black, white, brown or any other Color, Creed or Religion. I mean Us as an American People need to use our power as a society of democracy to protect the rights of fellow Americans. We need to stop looking the other way because it doesnt apply to you personally right now because one day it will for you or maybe your children or even grandchildren. We need to have a voice in police reform, silence=violence, so speak up on your ideas and stand together for what is right. People who are trusted to protect us need to be held accountable. There needs to be an adequate checks & balances principle & process structure put in place like our Country was founded on. I am currently incarcerated in Federal prison. So I live in a daily reality where "I cant breathe" not literally or physically. Within my mind, conditions, & many other aspects of life, I am constantly having someone of authority place their knee on my neck because they can! Because theyre having a bad day or in a bad mood I have to suffer their disrespect & neglect on so many levels because their position grants them privilege to be overlooked. I will have to wait days or months, even years to get a result from a grievance to be properly answered let alone dealt with. If the power wasnt so one sided things will be different. Until we can balance that power, the people in power need to be held to a higher standard! Things like annual or semi-annual psych evaluation on police and correctional officers will start to weed out racist & supremacist's that wear a badge not just the ones behind bars. That will also expose people with mental impairment & illness. I feel they also need to be required to take Communication skills training along with mental & physical disability education. Holding people of authority to a higher standard is a start, but an Adequate checks & balances that produces equal power and accountability for the Community & authorities with equal punishments. That will be the end to all the Rodney Kings, George Floyd's, Breonna Taylor's, and the countless officers who lost their lives & had their rights violated by police brutality and abuse of authority. Until then there will always injustice & inequity. Love breeds more love is always a principle I try to live by. Its very simple yet very difficult for me to practice. How much more for the world? We don't live in a perfect world, as individuals we can begin to make it better by being better ourselves. -Newman N. Kage
