“Without justice, there can be no peace. We don’t want no racist police.”
Police are not superior to anyone just because they put on a uniform and take orders from the State. It is not revolutionary to suggest that. It’s just basic logic, the fundamental law of equality.
The fact that we are still “having the conversation” about whether White police officers (or White people in general) are somehow superior to Black people is a source of frustration to many. The conversation itself is ridiculous; the answer is apparent and has long been apparent. There’s no such thing as a superior person. We want this clear once and for all so that this conversation can shift into something else entirely.
When we say equality for Black people, for Black-ness, and for Africanness, we are recognizing reality. We are speaking of respect, the decency to acknowledge another’s obvious greatness and sacredness. And we are choosing human dignity over the American State’s abuse and lies.
The reality of Black people’s immense contributions to world society, and the lions of human character and depth who have come again and again in the form of Black-ness on the land called America, is beyond measure to count.
What the white-supremacist-believing ruling class minority fears is Black people’s Soul that wants a better world, wants peace, wants life and beauty to fill each corner, wants justice to rain unity, and who will make sure it comes to this place called America – while cheered by the world and celebrated for ages. They fear this vision and this concerted energy because it’s obvious who would win. It’s obvious who the world would cheer, it’s obvious how many people would be inspired, it’s obvious that arrogant egos pale in comparison to lions of the human spirit.
Would people care to watch the K- Kardash’s money change the shapes of their bodies on corporate TV if King and X were standing here with us today still all-out striving to free this place and, in turn, allow so many of the world’s people to breathe freer air as well? Never. Wouldn’t glance at the spectacle, no time.
This battle is profound. Being truly free and changing this place called America is a sacred thing for many reasons, not least of which, and profoundly so deeply is: the freedom to constantly give deep respect and esteem as equals towards the Black nations of this country, a country which has so benefited from their immeasurable gifts for centuries, not least of which is jazz or a man named King or one called X, for example, not least of which a nation rising for a man named George Floyd and speaking the names of the many who died the same way as him, speaking the truth; and the many peoples of the world rose beside them and together spoke the truth of the matter: that the rudeness of the relationship of white supremacy towards Black people is appalling and it appalls the world. It appalls the world. It is sacred to say these things. It is sacred to speak the truth of equality and to speak for justice. It is sacred to act to make equality come to be.
White supremacy still insists on continuing its appalling behavior because it’s the only thing that makes “sense” in its view of the world – a true rule, that treating others badly somehow benefits them. This is the story, which is founded and built on lies upon lies upon lies, a story which its believers try to impose on all of us: in terms of who gets bullets and who gets to head economic systems, and who stands at the mic and who is valuable and deserves a good education, and what values and cultures are superior. The minority who believe white supremacy try to make us believe this stupid story, instead of us living here happily together, having culture and equality and productivity and a kind of sublime unity. …But we still have those in pockets anyway, we always create them together.
The war against Black people in America, its layers, and the constant repression, could fill libraries. Yet and still Black people are gorgeous, want and will get and are getting equality and the peace and freedom they deserve. And they are cheered by the world as they do so.
Once called “the United States” of America, this place flails in the contradictions of its thinking. America’s thinking creates America’s hells. And this is the real conversation we are having. This is the conversation that will make this place free.
State Violence
With many talking about the “qualified immunity” police officers get when they commit crimes, what is less understood is that these officers are given immunity because they are acting as arms of the state, of the government. This means that the government has sanctioned this police violence and that the officers are acting on the government’s behalf. That is why they have been protected.
Of course, the government is unlikely to admit this, and will return to the “few bad apples” explanation for this phenomenon, but it becomes clearer that the government supports this violence when we see that the officers are not prosecuted, and that judges and politicians protect officers who commit obvious crimes. The State has supported this violence against Black people for many generations, yet simply hides behind the police, as though the “few bad apple” officers are just doing this on their own with no support from the State.
Beware That, When Fighting Monsters…
In college I read a bit of Nietzsche and came to the sentence: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster…for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” I was profoundly struck by it.
I later came to know what it meant.
The following is not a discussion of tactics, it’s a discussion of heart. The battle to change America is a great undertaking that is ours to win. – And Nietzsche’s warning stands, because the battle is more than meets the eye.
If we do this great work for a truly better world without hating, dehumanizing, thinking in terms of superior and inferior people, or becoming in thought or spirit those monsters which we fight – with the same level of commitment and determination – and continuing until the end, we will naturally be able to win.
On the other hand, if you get drawn into responding to their jeers or their hatred with energy or thinking like theirs, you will soon be treading dangerously on a field cleverly-laid with mines in every direction. They will beat you at that game, if you don’t self-destruct first.
Being free is different than being drawn unawares into thinking that denigrates anyone, because that very enemy – superiority and inferiority, dehumanization, denigration – will remain: strong, coiled, ready to attack the next easy target, and the world will spiral into hell again and again.
Human monsters can always be redeemed ultimately. We have all seen it done, and we all have the chances to grow through life and have realization and change some way of thinking we once had. But the thinking and teaching of dehumanization and superior people can never be redeemed; this teaching itself is a great evil that can slide in quietly or with a shout, leading the world repeatedly on a terrible journey to hell.
May the hearts of the people be protected and strengthened. And let Nietzsche’s warning stand.
The Allies of the World
Seeing the people of the world standing out of deep respect for Black people and against racism and police brutality is profoundly moving. Let us not forget that, in Trump-led America his “shows of authority” are focused on America itself, while his predecessors did the very same brutal and terrible things to the peoples of other countries. Let us remember that in this moment all those very peoples came and stood with us. They are standing with us and for us. Let us forever stand with them.
If They Ever Again
It is not insurrection to suggest it, and it would be good to talk about what to do if one of us sees a random officer trying to choke out a Black man in the streets of this nation. This is a suggestion: while filming, let’s push the officer off. Say to him things like: “You are a human being like me. You are not above the law. You are breaking the law. Get off him!” And push him off.
If we were to do this on film, while saving a man’s life, surely the world will applaud. And if the police, and media, and politicians, and judges and prosecutors try to berate you and slander your name, or they try to shoot you or beat you down like you are assaulting them, you still saved someone’s life, your reward is great, your life immeasurable, you will be applauded by the masses, and you will be changing the trajectory of this nation.
Police are human beings like us, even if their training told them different. They have no right to kill our Beautiful Black people anywhere just because they want to. They never did. The world has told them, and will never forget it.
To The Youth Of The Nation
We see you, in those streets, by the millions, your hearts on your sleeves working day by day for a better nation. To you we rain our thank you.
Youth, from who the lies were taken, slipped away one by one – lies like capitalism and greed. They wouldn’t even give you the dreams, just laid out a debt-shackled work hard and be-limited life in front of you. But instead of those things, you are blessed with life itself, the chance to change a nation’s history. Instead, you are standing on the stage of the world speaking truth in front of the hearts of all nations, reflected back to you by those nations’ multitudes.
Youth of the nation in this land and in others, we salute you your hearts turned into action for the good of the world. Thank you for acting and speaking and changing this land, making the earth better these days upon days, you have made history better through all of time. We cheer you and we rain our thank you and we are beside you, youth of the nation.
The Day
The Day Black People Themselves Feel Free in this country will be a day of immense celebration throughout this earth, among the generations, throughout time. It will be a day that blesses the earth itself. Come Day Come!
