Justice and Police Brutality
Justice is a concept that reaches into
every community and every culture. Injustice is viewed as a crime . Tyranny is
a cruel oppression the reeks of immoral stench upon the human psychic . For the
past few weeks, this nation has witnessed the cruelest oppression ever meted
out on a group of people ;whose only crime is the color of their skin . It does
not matter whether male or female. It occurs in the U.S., east, west, north, or
south. It has its roots in slavery. It has grown with the United States since
its inception and has practically strangled its noble ideals with the tentacles
of racism and greed. This greed for human flesh and capital had to be
justified. Exploitation born of this racism was something good for its recipients.
It was justified as something good by
the will of providence. The recipients were cursed and therefore deserving of
punishment. They were the descendants of Ham and because of the swarthy color
of their skin they could be made to endure the cruelest of slavery.
The stench of slavery became foul in
eyes of humanity and the cry for abolition rose from the earth and filled the hearts of humanity. Men like
William Still and Frederick Douglass; woman like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman answered
the call of justice. Slavery could not be justified or tolerated. There was a
war and as many as 750,000 men would die in the struggle to sever the chains of
bondage. The wartime amendments would be passed; 13th ;14th;
and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Among those who fought
were 166 regiments of black troops. They would bring home the prize of freedom,
citizenship and the right to vote to their fellow African Americans. “But let judgment run down as waters and
righteousness as a mighty stream.” Amos
5:24 KJV
But the struggle was far from over,
the Redeemers; the Klan plantation owners and the capitalists would attempt to
curtail the newly won freedoms. First with black codes, then later with Jim
Crow laws and terrorism. They would with the aid of the northern capitalists burn,
loot ,hang and murder countless African Americans . The U.S. Constitution was
ignored and the words of liberation for the African American was betrayed by
northern capitalists, who sought to break the back of a growing labor movement
and ensure their coffers would be filled with gold. “Verily, Verily, I say
unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” John 13:21 KJV
African American people were
persecuted under the laws of Jim Crow segregation for nearly100 years. During
this time so many were hung that to many travelers down south it appeared a
strange fruit grew upon the poplar trees. Many were gunned down . Others were
placed upon a log and roasted upon a fire.[1]
Many genitals were cut off and
scrotums made into purses. Woman were hung and in the case of one who was
pregnant , a crude caesarean operation was performed and the fetus’ head
crushed upon the ground.[2]
After World War I the returning
African American troops were forced to
undergo the most severe race riots recorded in history and many died while
wearing the uniform of their nation. “ Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and
scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on his
head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said ,Hail ,King of the Jews! and
they smote him with their hands.” John 19:1-2
Rosa Parks refused to give up her
seat . [3]Central High School was
integrated in Little Rock, Arkansas.[4] Montgomery would end
segregated buses [5]Police
would endure a riot at Ol’ Miss because of the integration of the school[6] There would be Freedom
Summer in Mississippi. There would be death. Cheney Goodman and Schwerner whose
bodies would have to be found. Emmett Till, who, would be the catalyst for the
movement. Jamie Lee Curtiss who would become its heart. Three little girls
bombed in the basement of a church; would become the movements soul. Medgar
Evers would die ambushed as he returned home from organizing. Malcolm X would
be shot to death in the Audubon Ballroom. He died not only for aiding Dr. King
but for attempting to build a movement to liberate African American people. The
names would mount, jailed, beaten, tortured, and killed. The bloody field growing
like the pool of blood growing from one whose head had been cracked wide open.
Selma, Albany, Memphis, Charlotte and too many small and large towns to be
mentioned. People marched, protested and died for human rights, liberation of
the African American people and the right to vote. One of those who perished
was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cut down by an assassin’s bullet. “After this,
Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be
fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar; and
they filled a sponge with vinegar: and they put it upon hyssop and put it to
his mouth .When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said it is
finished. and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost” John 19:28-30 KJV
Now we come to the present day.
Even though a black woman aided the U.S. in landing the first human being on
the lunar surface. We have a black man dying of asphyxiation while a white
policeman places his knee upon his neck. He keeps his knee in place for over eight
minutes despite the begging of civilians to let him go. Despite, several times
calling out for his mama. The man is unconscious when the ambulance arrives. If
you watch the video one would think he was dead on the scene. The whole scene
took place in front of a video. This video was shown to the entire world. People
grew angry throughout the world. Once again, a black person’s life did not
matter. A human life at the hands of the police meant nothing. It was not the
first time. It was however, the most heinous time. It was a mixture of massive
unemployment. It was a result of food and shelter insecurity. It was a direct
result of a pandemic.
People were suffering. Too many
people were in George Floyd’s predicament. Too many had serious problems with
food and utilities. Too many were receiving welfare benefits and these were in
the process of being cut. Too many had
fallen below unemployment benefits. Some were no longer eligible for SNAP. Too
many were homeless. There was simply too much destitution. The U.S. government
did not bother to even count the number anymore. Trump and his conservative
U.S. Senate had decided against a second stimulus check. Suddenly the door was
open for racism and police violence. A population desperate for money and a
police department whose members suffered and died from Covid -19. NYPD had lost
43 members. The Trump administration had
turned its back on the poor and needy. It looked to many that Trump had turned
his back on the nation. The New York Governor was forced to beg for supplies
and ventilators. Cutbacks in SNAP were openly made and these cutbacks were
either threatened or made during the height of the coronavirus infections.
Trumps slowness and in the case of test equipment ,unwillingness to use the
outside assistance either from China or WHO caused the infections to spread
rapidly. Many of the first responders and essential workers were left without
proper PPE.
There was simply too much sickness. Over 2
million people have been infected more than the combined total of the states of
Montana and Vermont. There have be over 118,000 deaths twice the number of
troops lost in the Vietnam War. That war lasted from November 1,1955 until
April 30, 1975. Covid -19 has only been in the United States since January
20,2020.
Granted it might be hard to blame an
administration for the problems emanating from an infectious disease. However,
one must bear the burden of the natural disaster. As the leader of the American
people Donald Trump must admit to some responsibility for the current dilemma.
However, President Trump not only does not do very much to prevent police
brutality but often encourages it. He blames an antifascist conspiracy for the nation’s
domestic violence instead of the brutal racism, poverty, and unemployment. Instead of diffusing the problem and working
with other nations around the world he calls the virus the “Chinese virus “ or
“ Kung Flu” and has tried to put the blame on the People’s Republic of China
for the Covid-19 infection in the United States.
He does not do much about consoling the
loved ones for their losses at the hands of police violence he encourages the
talk of an antifascist conspiracy and encourages Klan and right-wing elements
in his own political party. He called for troops in the wake of peaceful
protests to put down peaceful demonstrators. He openly called on them to shoot
to kill. However, when dealing with the violence in Charlottesville ,Virginia
he said there were some good people among the elements of the Klan and the Nazis By waving a bible and openly supporting Adolph
Hitler Trump incites white people to attack people of color not only in the
United States but throughout the world. Hitler attempted to exterminate the
people of color on this planet to make more room for the white race. This is a
democracy with approximately 30% of its population people of color. They have
every right to call themselves Americans. They were born in the United States. They
are Americans. President Donald Trump, by these facts, is nothing more than a tyrant.
“And when you strike ,you strike as
tyrants.
So
fear Allah and obey me
And fear He who provided you with that
which you know,
Provided you with grazing livestock and
children
And
gardens and springs
Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a
terrible day
They said, “It is all the same to us
whether
you
advise or are not of the advisors
This is not but the custom of the former
peoples,
And are we not to be punished.”
And they denied him, so We destroyed
them. Indeed in that is a sign, but most
of them were not to be believers.
And indeed, your Lord -He is the Exalted
in
Might , the Merciful
Quran 26:130-140
The keg is set to explode. March 13,2020
the police, without announcing themselves, attempted to enter the apartment of
Breyonna Taylor, a EMT worker at a nearby hospital. Breyonna lived in the
apartment with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker. The police officers used a
battering ram. Kenneth Walker called 911. Thinking they were dealing with
unlawful intruders, he fired one round striking one of the officers. Brett
Hankinson fired 10 ten times without being able to ascertain the identity of
his assailant. Eight bullets struck Breyonna Taylor, killing her. Walker
survived. Since the incident, Officer
Brett Hankison has been terminated. He is also under investigation for numerous
accusations of sexual assault.
Ahmaud Avery was jogging. It is a run he
enjoyed daily. According to the video, we have at this time, he can be seen
running; when suddenly a truck pulls out on him and two men, a former policeman
and his son not only strike the victim with the truck but fatally wound him
with an assault rifle. At first, it was difficult to charge the assailants.
Georgia law allows a person who believes another is committing a felony to use
deadly force to stop him. Finally, after much persistence and after four
prosecutors, an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation an arrest
was made on May 7,2020. The McMichaels were charged with felony murder. By June
4,2020 additional evidence was brought by the prosecutor to support murder
charges.
The killings and physical attacks by the
police continue. The deaths of Rayshard Brooks and others at the hands of the
police continue cut deep into the nation’s soul. An old man is pushed to ground
in a senseless act of violence by the Buffalo, NY police. All this is but fuel upon
an uncontrolled fire.
The three tragic deaths exploded the
powder keg. Like the Petersburg mine it seemed to engulf all and everything.
Marches and peaceful protests began throughout the nation. These marches were
met by armed violence of the police. The protestors continued to march many
were beaten arrested and injured. Still they continued to protest. On June
6,2020 After massive demonstrations riots broke out around the nation. The
people poor hungry and distraught poured into the streets many of deprived of
the necessities began to loot and riot. Before long, the drugstores, clothing
stories and grocery stores were tore open and the goods stolen. Police cars
were abandoned in the melee. One Philadelphia Police Department SUV was being
torn apart on camera. Two individuals had gotten a hold of the driver seat door
and began to attempt to pull it off. The thing looked like a weird comedy with
a young woman and a man on opposite sides of the door pulling and pushing on it
, while others charged into a store in the rear of the vehicle taking whatever
goods they could carry out of the place.
Fights erupted in the streets and before the night was over more than
700 were arrested and two were killed. However,
there is always something that comes from every moment of darkness. There is a
force of goodness that arises from the evil. There is a light that gives hope
to everyone. It is the same light that Nichiren saw just before he was to lose
his head. It is a saving light. Out of this dark moment people came together
and called for a continuous protest. The marches and the peaceful protest
continue. Many positive things have occurred since George Floyd’s death. The
statute of Frank Rizzo has been taken down and with it goes the hope of forming
a white people’s party. White supremacy has been laid to rest. There are
numerous calls to rename Taney St. For people know that a black man has rights
that the world is bound to respect. The statute of Confederate generals who
fought for slavery continue to fall. This light blinded the executioners with
fear and shocking terror. The light overcame the evil of an execution at
Tatunokuchi. This light is beginning to shine brightly throughout the United
States of America
In this life, however, as votary of the
Lotus Sutra, I was exiled and put to
death- exiled to Ito and beheaded at
Tatsunokuchi. Tatsunokuchi in
Sagami Province is the place where
Nichiren gave his life. Because he died there
for the Lotus Sutra, how could it be
anything less than the Buddha land?
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol 1, The Persecution
at Tatsunokuchi ,196
It brought wisdom to those who were living
in the U.S. Black lives did matter. George Floyd died to ensure that every life
no matter what color mattered. People also learned another thing during this
pandemic. They learned who and what they are. Noah Webster wrote a new
dictionary for the United States of America. It had less words than the Oxford
Dictionary. It was simpler than the King’s English of the United Kingdom. Working class was
understood but with so many underemployed and unemployed and with the bourgeois
being more than people with money. They, the people began to see themselves as
the poor. Thus, they began to march into the bright light of the sky that saved
Nichiren. The wisdom of what they are saved the working class here, so they
began to march, and they began a campaign, a poor people’s campaign. They would
fight poor education, lack of housing, joblessness, homophobia, mistreatment of
immigrants, militarism, lack of health care and shameful living conditions in
the richest nation in the world. They would shine the light on the fact that
the wealthiest nation is not owned by them. It is owned by one percent of the
population of the land. It is owned by the wealthy. A new day is coming. The
light shines on the U.S. because of the death of George Floyd. As Rev. Barber
so aptly stated, “When you hold down the poor you hold down America”. Rev. Al
Sharpton has called for a march on Washington on August 28,2020. It is a march
of courage protest and hope. It is the march of the poor, a march of those who
toil for their daily bread, it is a march of those who have no bread or
shelter. It is a march to light the way for America, a way to wisdom, a way out
of a tunnel of darkness and ignorance. “When
we light a lamp amid the darkness of ignorance, the darkness immediately
disappears.” The Opening of the Eyes, Daisaku Ikeda ,172
[4] https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org/Little-Rock-Central
National Park Service (May 19,2008) “Desegregation of Central High School”
[5] Gayle
v Browder, 352 U.S.903 (1956)
[6]
Branch, Taylor, Parting the Waters, (1988)
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