What is the value of young black men in our society?

Filed Under current affairs, music, sadness

Perhaps someone can explain to me how 14 year old Martin Lee Anderson’s beating can be on videotape, an expert pathologist can determine from a second autopsy that he died of injuries related to that beating (not a blood disorder as the first coroner claimed), and the boot camp he was sent to (for two hours before he was shipped to hospital) can be closed down, and yet no one has been charged for any crime related to his death?

What if there hadn’t been a videotape?

I am not one for many sentimental moments, but this is pretty distressing to me. I’m reminded of the murder of Amadou Diallo, for instance. Zero tolerance.

Random, semi-connected thoughts:

-One of my favorite songs: (lyrics to) Around My Way, by Talib Kweli

-T-shirts I saw for sale in New York City some years back: “I’m black, but I’m not armed!”

-Portland’s required police academy training will be increased from 10 weeks to 16. Maybe then we’ll have fewer officer involved shootings here. My training to be a customer service rep 9 years ago was five weeks. I do imagine that it’s at least twice as difficult to be a cop as it is to answer telephones.

-Oh yeah, and if you haven’t already, please go see Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. It’s uplifting (at least for this person).

Comments

2 Responses to “What is the value of young black men in our society?”

Monique D. on March 16th, 2006 10:59 am

That’s a damn shame, because of sickle cell?! And how his internal bleeding from sickle cell happened at the same exact time that the guards beat him…right.
It’s also said that the that Bay County officials examined his body without getting any say from the family to do so.
Tellas Johnson on October 26th, 2007 7:00 am

IT’S SAD BECAUSE I WAS LIVING IN PANAMACITY WHEN THIS TOOK PLACE. I REMEMBERED WATCHING THE VIDEO OVER AND OVER AGAIN. HE WAS DEAD WHILE THEY WERE STILL BEATING ON HIM AND WHEN THEY REALIZED THAT HE HAD DIED IT WAS TOO LATE. DON’T WORRY JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED ON THOSE INVOVED BECAUSE GOD WILL ALLOW SOMEONE TO ESPOSE THE TRUTH. HE WILL ALLOW ONE OF THOSE INVOLVED TO TELL THE TRUTH. JUSTICE WILL COME IN THIS MATTER. I PRAY BECAUSE WHAT IF THAT HAD BEEN MY OWN SON.

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