I remember when I first moved to Raleigh in 2009. I was driving down New Bern Ave., fully insured, intact drivers license, seatbelt on, etc. I see the cop driving behind me and all of a sudden the blue lights come on. Instant anxiety kicked in. "What did I do? I wasn't speeding. I have no warrants. No record, etc." The officer gets out of the vehicle. "Yes officer, how can I help you?" The cop proceeds to ask me for my license, registration, and proof of insurance, all of which I provide, being cautious not to make any sudden moves. He proceeds to tell me that my plates match the description of another model vehicle, in other words, I was driving a stolen car. He tells me he'll be right back. Even though I knew this was a mistake, my nerves were shot. Cops do what they want. I was a black male dealing with a white cop. After about 20 minutes of wasting my time the cop comes back. "Mr. Crouch it appears I made a mistake, I entered a wrong number while running your plates. I sincerely apologize sir. Enjoy the rest of your day." I pulled off and headed home.
I guess that wasn't quite the ending you were expecting huh? That's my point. I was shocked. I was treated with respect by a cop. He didn't tell me to get out of the car. He didn't tell me to show him my hands. He didn't ask me was there any drugs or weapons in the vehicle. Nothing. This is a problem; indirectly.
As I said in my Trayvon Martin note...we as black men deal with a lot of pressure in society. We are threatening by racial default. Jordan Davis died because he was listening to his music loud, was perceived to be a threat by a white man, probably stood up for himself (as any man would do), and got fired on 10 times. No doubt Dunn was trying to murder every brother in that car... 2 bullets per person, with 2 left over, had he been accurate. Now isn't it ironic that Dunn claims that Davis threatened his life saying, "I am going to kill you?" Sound familiar? Now granted, unless Florida has some different type of "threatening" code, most brothers don't threaten somebody by proclaiming death on them off gate.
In the grand scheme of things people, 9 out of 10 young brothers aint even THINKING ABOUT YOU. We want to proceed on through our day just like you do. This regardless if we are going to the store to buy Skittles, and tea, or playing our music loud at the gas station with some of our buddies. HOWEVER, we know that "you" don't know that. We know that you have an issue with the way we dress, our hoodie, our music, our slang, our style, OUR SKIN. This brings about a very strange dilemma. We are automatically almost always in defense mode because we know what you don't know (see the first sentence of this paragraph for reference).
We are living in a society where if you perceived to be a thug, you should be killed, ridded of in society. You are a roach in a clean world of decent human beings. You do not matter. You make life bad for the rest of us God fearing, American flag waving citizens. You are a thug...a gangsta who wears a hoodie, walks through neighborhoods WE ARE SURE YOU CANT AFFORD TO LIVE IN, and plays your music too loud, and I am sure you have a weapon because all thugs and gangsters carry weapons...shall I continue? You get the point.
Here is my point. I hate to say this. But the war against young black males is getting very blatant and arrogant. Yes, black males kill each other are alarming rates, but we have to figure out why. Is it embedded into our DNA? No.
A conspiracy "theory" may hold some valid points but it is still a theory. However, when there is evidence to back it up...it becomes more than a "theory." Martin and Davis...DEAD. No murder charges. This, my friends, is no longer a theory.
We have to figure out why; people. The black male seed is getting WIPED OUT. We have to figure out why.
God bless us. And heal us.
