On June 17th, 2012, Rodney Glen King was found dead at the bottom of his pool. Detectives say this was an accidental drowning due to excessive alcohol and marijuana use beforehand. Was it the drug binge that led him to his demise? Or was it the after effects of a savage beating at the hands of 4 white men with a badge that led him on a downward spiral of helplessness and submission. On that day, King lay his head on the tile at the bottom of his pool on which he etched the date he was victimized by authorities, and the date when the people of Southern L.A. fought to be recognized, swarming the streets, outnumbering the police or the “cowards in blue” with a march for our human rights.
So how far are we from our Neanderthal roots? It’s obvious that we have evolved into a more materialistic world, surrounded by more advanced ideas, technology, and habitat. Yet the effects of this so evolved world have not fully penetrated our still animalistic behaviors. Ironically, these primitive natures seem to be further unleashed in the hands of our police forces. Throughout the years, their ideas of “Serve and protect” seem to have slowly morphed into a “fear your authority” manner. Or perhaps the case is not to arouse fear in people like you and I, but to simply beat their superiority into your heads with those shiny black batons.
Police men or Cowards In Blue should not rightfully be given their badges unless they can prove their ability to handle the power in which they are given. Before we give these men or women a steel baton, Taser, Beretta 9 mm, cuffs, and a badge, perhaps an assessment of judgment and rationality is in order. King’s beating isn’t the only police brutality incident. The instinctual decision to be made from this may be that we need to fight back; we have to stand up for ourselves against people who belittle our stance as human beings. Yet the problem is the miniscule percentage that we will even be given a chance to speak or be heard.
America and the world in general live in a culture of fear. We are victimized by forces beyond our control from all different sources over the world; however torn and frightened we might be, we cannot let the ones who vow to protect us begin to suppress us. We cannot be placed in a world where our government ties shackles around our feet for petty problems, and then turns against our own people.
In the midst of the L.A. riots, then vice president, Dan Quayle gave an enlightening speech. “I believe the lawless social anarchy which we saw is directly related to the breakdown of family structures, personal responsibility, and social order in too many areas of our society. Fatherless families, illegitimate children, homicide incidents…” Great theory Dan, but I think the major problem lies in the hands of our corrupt police men who beat the consciousness out of the people of L.A. for years, therefore causing them to cry for justice in response to the court’s decision (another example of corrupt government) to find the 4 officers who beat King NOT GUILTY. This is a great model to show our government’s recognition or lack thereof, of their own wrongdoings. These protestors were not trampling innocent white folk and burning down buildings because of fatherless families and illegitimate children, these people were fighting for a change. “We need to renew our public commitment to our Christian values in our churches, civic organizations, and schools…” Qualye continued. Wrong again Dan. I do believe this man had this whole situation misconstrued, but if applying more faith in our lives is going to prevent enraged beatings on our people, by all means let’s give it a shot.
One thing all of these brutality incidents have in common is its pack mentality. Most savage beatings come about when the victim is in the presence of not just one police officer, but three or four. With the collaboration of over amounts of testosterone and super ego, these officers re-enact what a pack of wolves in the wild life would do whilst they feast on their newly killed prey. They drive each other; use one another for “backup” or in other words assistance. These cowards in blue support each other with every blow on the victims head. And with this we get our caveman like primitive natures being flourished and let loose.
Another example of such incidents by the Cowards in Blue: May 13th, 2009, 1:35 p.m. Officer Fiero chases down victim Richard Rodriguez in his car because Mr. Rodriguez allegedly had a “nervous expression on his face.” When Rodriguez stopped finally, he surrendered by lying face down on the grass behind his condo while looking back at the Officer Fiero noting his submission. Instead of Fiero holding his gun and waiting for back up to handcuff him, Fiero decides to kick him a few times in the head without pause. This led to chronic nose bleeds, blurry vision, and other physical health disorders for Rodriguez. Rodriguez was completely un- armed. And what was the start of all this? What appeared to be an illegal expression on his face.
We are a civilization who has attempted to stand up for our own rights, yet how can we use our hands to surrender when metal cuffs are thrown on them before we even have an opportunity to stand.
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