Young black males under fire.

So this is what happens when you declare the end of racism and not everyone gets the memo.

I know that the po po in Rochester, New York certainly didn't get it.

Here is what Tommy Christopher from Mediaite wrote about the sad incident:

"Not only did Rosa Parks not end racism, but now you can’t even get on the bus without being arrested. On Wednesday, three Edison Tech High School students were arrested when police ordered them to “disperse,” even though they say they explained that they were waiting for a school bus to take them to a basketball scrimmage. In an encouraging sign for the end of racism, though, their coach was not arrested when he arrived to intercede.

The three teens, 16 year-olds Raliek Redd and Deaquon Carelock, and 17 year-old Wan’Tauhjs Weathers, were in the process of being arrested for disorderly conduct when their coach, Jacob Scott, arrived to explain things to police:

Their coach, Jacob Scott, who is also a district guidance counselor, arrived at the location as the three students were placed in handcuffs. Scott said he pleaded with the officer to let the boys go, saying he was supervising them. 

“He goes on to say, ‘If you don’t disperse, you’re going to get booked as well,’” Scott said. “I said, ‘Sir, I’m the adult. I’m their varsity basketball coach. How can you book me? What am I doing wrong? Matter of fact, what are these guys doing wrong?’”
Scott said a sergeant showed up and backed up his officer. 

“One of the police officers actually told me, if he had a big enough caravan, he would take all of us downtown,” Scott said.  

Scott said the incident was traumatic for the players who got arrested and the players who witnessed the arrests and such treatment of their coach.  

“It’s a catastrophe. These young men were doing nothing wrong, nothing wrong. They did exactly what they were supposed to do and still they get arrested,” said Scott. “I’m speaking to the officers with dignity…and still and yet – they see me get treated like nothing.”

Of course, there are two sides to every story, but if the pretextual “disorderly conduct” charge isn’t a tip-off, then the weak-sauce police report ought to be:

The police report says the students were obstructing “pedestrian traffic while standing on a public sidewalk…preventing free passage of citizens walking by and attempting to enter and exit a store…Your complainant gave several lawful clear and concise orders for the group to disperse and leave the area without complaince.”The report does not accuse the boys of using abusive or obscene language.

The teens’ parents had to post $200 bail to get their kids out of jail for Thanksgiving. Their trial date is December 11.

Stories like these are common, but unless the police slip up and mess with someone in an ironclad position of respectability, you never really hear about them. If there’s video, well, you have to watch the whole thing.

This is, however, the first time I’ve ever heard of someone being arrested for refusing to leave an area that they were only in for the express purpose of leaving it. It’s like telling a guy to buy something or get out when he’s at the end of the checkout line. [More]

I guess this "knock out" game phenomenon has some folks, spooked. (Pun intended)

This, and the scare white folks industry that has been popping up all over the country of late. (I see you Colin and Fox News)

You young black bucks might have to start wearing t-shirts identifying yourselves and stating what you are doing at any given time:

"MY NAME IS RALIEK AND I AM A BASKETBALL PLAYER ON MY WAY TO A GAME".

The "old heads" are going to be fine. We know how to dress up and not look threatening. Well, I take that back; we know how to dress up.

The irony is, of course, that the people who should be getting protected from young black males who would do wrong are other young black males. They are at war with each other, not those other folks.

Here in Philly, a hard working college bound young man lost his life this weekend because he wouldn't give up his Beats by Dr Dre  head phone set. Bam! Just like that. These mean streets do not discriminate. That was homicide number six in a 35 hours stretch here in Killadelphia.

In New Jersey, a Marine who survived tours of duty in Afghanistan died on the battle fields of Camden trying to break up a fight.  Wrong place at the wrong time. He was put down, no doubt, by another young black man.

Both of these young men would have been profiled and given the business if they were in the wrong neighborhood or got certain folks suspicious like the kids up in Rochester.

It's the reality of living young and black in America. People fear others who look like you and that fear permeates throughout society.

It's why a bunch of kids just waiting to get on a bus to go and play a basketball game get arrested and almost miss Thanksgiving dinner with their families.

They probably should have went ahead and missed it. Because, right now, in America, if you are young and black, there probably isn't a whole lot to be thankful for.

*Pic from Mediaite


  

Officer look at that black man breaking into that nice house.

As most of you might or might not know, I have given up on chasing racism. ---There is just too much of it in the age of Obama--- But, unfortunately for me, the son of a bitch won't leave me alone.

The following post comes compliments of "The Root" online magazine:

"On July 16th, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 58, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor of Harvard University, was headed from Logan airport to his home [in] Cambridge after spending a week in China, where he was filming his new PBS documentary entitled “Faces of America”. Professor Gates was driven to his home by a driver for a local car company. Professor Gates attempted to enter his front door, but the door was damaged. Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, and again attempted to open the front door. With the help of his driver they were able to force the front door open, and then the driver carried Professor Gates’s luggage into his home.

Professor Gates immediately called the Harvard Real Estate office to report the damage to his door and requested that it be repaired immediately. As he was talking to the Harvard Real Estate office on his portable phone in his house, he observed a uniformed officer on his front porch. When Professor Gates opened the door, the officer immediately asked him to step outside. Professor Gates remained inside his home and asked the officer why he was there. The officer indicated that he was responding to a 911 call about a breaking and entering in progress at this address. Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’s photograph, and the license includes his address.

Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’s request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’s home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch. Professor Gates asked the officer’s colleagues for his name and badge number. As Professor Gates stepped onto his front porch, the officer who had been inside and who had examined his identification, said to him, “Thank you for accommodating my earlier request,” and then placed Professor Gates under arrest. He was handcuffed on his own front porch."

This is a joke right? You folks over at The Root are just making this shit up to get a little free publicity. The cops and everybody was in on it, right?............

Okay, I am going back to my regular scheduled life now. Racism, you are way too much for me.

Link here.

Wait, I have some more. Please excuse the field people, but I just can't write about this in a lucid manner right about now. Instead, I will refer you to an excellent post from a fellow blogger, who gives the story a fair and balanced (Hey where have I heard that before?) perspective.

Thank you for your patience while I recuperate from the ass kicking that racism has been giving me lately.