How do we get up there?Americans can come together and acknowledge and work to fix the inequalities in their nation, or they can continue to deny and ignore them and become more societally fractured and dysfunctional.
Americans by now will probably be tired of everybody, including Americans, telling them that they are now at a crossroad, with regards to their race equality and cohesion situation. And, to some extent, one can sympathise with those Americans who are feeling irked and thinking, why don't people leave us to get on with our own problems, as we have done in the past. After all, Americans of this persuasion might be thinking, given sufficient time, this hullabaloo will subside and we will all return to the status quo of maintaining our racially, economically and politically divided and unequal nation. Except that they might not see it as such, or, if they do, might not see anything wrong with such a situation.
And that, of course, is a large part of the problem; the fact that, given sufficient time and lack of commitment to effect the changes - the 'we canness' - which Americans need to take, to remedy and heal their divided nation - it really is the case that they will return to the status quo. At least, until the next spark or series of electric shocks to jolt them out of their slumber.
These shocks are not just about the lawless elements within the American police forces killing black Americans needless and criminally; it is also about the American 'police and business biased judiciary letting of these criminals, and over-incarcerating African Americans. Probably of even greater significance, is the response of African-Americans and Americans of all ethnic backgrounds who chose to take a stand in combating police brutality and the economic and political oppression of the elites. This is the real essence of the struggle; the ordinary and inspired Americans who have decided to take a stand against heinous police action, which has been going on for decades, and even longer, but which has also not, until now, resulted in a continuous campaign to oppose and defeat it.
And now, we are seeing some African-Americans, like Gavin Long and Micah Johnson, apparently hitting back at police killing and oppression of African-Americans, by allegedly killing 5 police officers and wounding others. Gavin Long, it has been reported, has called on his fellow country men to "make sacrifices" for their people, apparently by way of taking violent action against the police. We have not had any or much information about Micah Johnson's mindset or perspective. What I have heard about Gavin Long, suggest that he might have been experiencing some mental health or psychological problems.
Be that as it may, I cannot see how African-Americans, or anybody on their behalf, taking up arms to combat, and/or defend African-Americans against the police, can, in the slightest, advance the cause of the struggle of African-Americans for racial, economic and political equality, by one jot. It just is not going to happen. More likely, it would result in the racists and sadists within the police and the judiciary being given carte blanche to kill black people on a much large scale.
A prudent person does not take up arms and start killing people, without having a clear plan which his/her action is intended to realise. If the plan is to kill police officers and invite them to kill you, full-stop, then I see it, but, of course, there will not be a 'full-stop', because such action will not result in the police and the judiciary stopping their oppressive practices towards African-Americans, and poor people in general.
Quite simply, the method which Long and Johnson have resorted to, is not only suicidal, but it is not suited to achieving what African-Americans are aspiring towards; which, I imagine, is to be treated with respect and fairness by all their police and judiciary.
It is unfortunate that the 'symbolic suicidal approach of taking on the police' could appeal to vulnerable and susceptible African-Americans, resulting in the tragic ending of theirs and others lives. It would not be amiss for organisations like BlackLivesMatter, to come out - if they have not already done so - and try to discourage such reckless and inappropriate action by desperate individuals.
For change to occur, it does need people to be sufficiently angry about their existing situation, but, even more than anger and desperation, you need to be very clear about who are your enemies and potential enemies, your allies and potential allies, and you need to be able to be able to organise your allies and yourself into an indomitable fighting - not with guns - force to struggle to achieve your goals or objectives.
This is not a struggle for, or which can be won by the desperate, ill-advised and suicidal acts of the Micah Johnsons and the Gavin Longs of the U.S. In fact, it is likely that their action could make the struggle than much more difficult.
Rocky times for Americans, but their is a way through it?!
No comments:
Post a Comment