No, I will NOT just shut up and dribble…
There are several topics I would much rather be writing about than social justice… The NHL Playoffs are in full swing, coming off a high last night where the Lightning won in dramatic fashion against the hated Bruins in OT, the NBA Playoffs also in full swing (until today), with the big stories being the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic with his heroics, the Lakers an their dominant performance against Portland, the drama of Milwaukee and Orlando. Then we have Major League Baseball, which seemed to be coming out of all its issues with positive COVID testing, giving us great baseball including the season’s first no-hitter, not to mention the first no-hitter by a White Sox pitcher in 8 years. NFL Training Camp is in full bloom, a lot of stories coming out of camp including Tom Brady and the Bucs, Aaron Rogers and his “look back” at his 2010 self, finding perhaps the one thing that can bring him back to form, or so h says, Cam and New England, OBJ and Baker on the same page, Big Ben and his comeback in Pittsburgh, and of course, which brings me to the actual topic I am writing about, The Detroit Lions and the cancellation of practice yesterday to protest yet another senseless murder of an unarmed black man in Wisconsin Sunday…
What I have to say will not sit right with some of my followers, and frankly, to be honest I don’t give a shit. I am an old, overweight white man, I have never been subjected harassment because of the color of my skin. I have never been nervous or afraid for my life when being pulled over by a police officer. I do not have as sense of privilege because of the color of my skin, I have struggled for decades because of my actions or lack of action to make my situation better. However, I look at my friends of color and see that despite my struggles, they pale in comparison because of the systematic racism in this country. whether you are black, white, Latino, Asian, green or purple, you need to come to the realization it exists, and it has existed for over 400 years on the North American Continent and it was on the backs of black people and other minorities this country was built. But enough of the history lesson, because my conservative right-wing friends and family will disagree with me.
George Floyd… Breonna Taylor… now Jacob Blake, it doesn’t stop… Until actual action is taken, it more than likely won’t stop, but here are no signs that any action is going to be taken anytime soon. There are a couple of articles that I have read over the past few days that have really hit home with me. I come from a small town in Ohio, population maybe 2,500 in which instances of racism have been happening for years. I became aware of this due to Facebook posts from a cousin of mine whose daughter is half black and has experienced these instances first-hand, only to see the MAYOR of Garrettsville turn a blind eye to all of it. the story is here: .
This is exactly what is going on in my hometown right now, and it is affecting FAMILY, despite the fact I have not seen my cousin in four decades, it does not change the fact that she is family and it outrages me to see her and her daughter going through this. Her mother, my aunt, was one my most favorite people in the whole world, so I am a little protective of my family, time and distance doesn’t change this and I hope she knows that my heart is with her and I am praying for her and her kids to be safe and healthy. How hard should it be for one human being to walk down the street without having to worry about being harassed and targeted because o the color of their skin. Again, this isn’t Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, or even Florida, where I live, this is Northeast Ohio for goodness sakes, what the hell has happened to my hometown???
To deny there is systematic racism in this country is to accept it and encourage it. Silence speaks volumes, and I refuse to be silent. Breaking news tonight, the Milwaukee Bucks protested by sitting out game 5 o their series against the Orlando magic tonight, an subsequently, the entire NBA schedule for tonight was cancelled altogether. The WNBA has also postponed their gams tonight in protest, MLB games may be postponed as well, and professional players from all sports leagues are speaking out against the injustice being shown live on social media and national TV to the country, while the Republican National Convention is allowing vigilantes and white supremacists to speak, and inciting more violence with their words. Yes, there are riots in Kenosha Wisconsin, but that is because people are tired of not being heard, tired that the peaceful protests that have been going on for 5 months have fallen on deaf ears.
Last night Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, travelled across state lines from Illinois to Wisconsin with an AR-15 and killed two protestors and wounded a third. There is video of him receiving WATER from police officers and being told by said officers they were “glad he was here” and allowed him to walk past them AFTER the shootings, all the while still brandishing his weapon like it as normal behavior. He was charged with murder today, but only after returning to his home. His social media history is full of misogyny and white supremacy, yet he was allowed easy access to an AR-15. Oh and so I don’t forget… he was seen in the front row of a Trump rally in January, this is what the rhetoric of the current resident of the White House has created, and don’t even think about coming at me with “Trump derangement syndrome” cause I don’t have that made up conservative talking point.
I’m not here to change the mind of Trump fans, cause the man could commit murder (see Russian bounties) and they would still love him. No the purpose of this post is to bring attention to the obvious fact that systematic racism in fact DOES exist in this country, and until action is taken, it will continue unabated and encouraged by the radical right wing of the Republican Party, and to deny this is to be blind of the facts. Denial is not an option, nor is finger pointing at progressives or the previous administration. While Liberals and Progressives fight for justice, conservatives believe it is ok for 17 year old's brandishing an AR-15 is to maintain order and kill innocent protestors.
I’m out…