I Can’t Believe I Still Have to Protest this Shit

 

Now that the situation has calmed relative to the fever pitch of a few weeks ago, I have a few comments to add to the Ferguson white noise. Ferguson, a town most of the U.S. had never heard of that is now infamously known for the death of Michael Brown. I don’t know what happened between Michael Brown and the police officer that killed him. I do know that anytime an officer kills it’s a problem in itself — justified or not. I rely on myself for my safety and well being, when I can’t protect myself or the situation is beyond my ability to resolve I’m calling the police for help. Under no circumstance "should" I feel the need to hesitate because the police may misidentify me as the perp instead of the individual that called for assistance. The police are a civil force that’s responsible for the prevention and detection of crime, and the maintenance of public order. We — the people — are not subservient to the police. A police officer killing an individual must never be viewed as routine. Are there “bad cops” on the force, no matter how you define “bad cop” the answer is yes; are all cops “bad cops” the answer is no. Did race play a role in how the officer and citizen interacted, maybe. The idea that policing is immune to racism is impracticable, and the notion that officers of the law are the enemy of the people lacks common sense. Police are charged with our safety. Beyond that, there are lots of shouldn’t, should’ve, and could’ve, and couldn’t that occur between citizens and police officers. It is what it is, and we — the people — must never be satisfied with sub-par service from the civil force that has sworn to protect and serve.

 

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While life is not a game, the competition for resources and power is real. We — the people — of the world will forever be in competition for resources and power. When engaging the competition you may run into racism, you may not. You may run into gender bias, you may not. You may run into sexual preference bias, you may not. Obstructions will be in your path as you work to achieve success; you control how you react and persevere — that’s it. Never give up your ability to decide, never forget you have a choice.

I’m disturbed by the reaction to obstructions — real and perceived. For example, identifying racism is not an end goal, and obtaining a large settlement should not satisfy the masses, nor does it solve the problem. Jon Stewart artfully mocks and identifies Fox News' hypocrisy, slander, and outright misinformation. Jon is entertaining, but his efforts aren't going to change Fox News or the viewers that identify with Fox News' brand and messaging. The American Civil Rights Movement was a movement of the people. A diverse group of people came together to advance the core value of equality and demand an end to discrimination in the United States. The civil rights movement changed some hearts and minds, but policy changes enabled conditions for people to thrive despite obstructions.

Now is the time for sophistication and deft action. Now is the time to make the choice to thrive despite X. Now is the time to engage with like-minded folk, pursue change using the means available, and if the means don’t exist, create the means through innovation. The competition is focused and pursing an agenda — unions, voting rights, woman’s rights, education, wages, national debt, religion, immigration, health care, the police state, race, spying, and X (you name it). Now is the time to evaluate your priorities and your lifestyle. Now is the time identify the competition and decide how you are going to proceed, bystander or competitor.

Competitors’ consider:

·  You and your family first. Take care of home. Focus on being a productive member of society and raising your children to do the same.

·  Your circle of influence first.  Engage your circle, and encourage your circle to engage theirs.

·  Do not accept or promote unacceptable behavior.

·  Avoid the show them mentality; focus on showing yourself. You don’t need my approval, and you don’t his or her approval. You don’t need to show people anything. You want to make your mark on the world, make your mark because you want to show yourself that you can. Make your mark because you want to be an example for others to follow. If proving people wrong or “showing them” is a motivator for you, use it as you must, but don’t lose sight of the real reason, which is to show yourself.

·  Allow people to be people and believe them when they show you who they are.

·  Do you.

·  Engage on issues that are important to you within the means available to you based on your situation and resources.

History as written by the victors has been cleaned up a bit and modified to fit a narrative. It's a fact that human history is ugly, savagely violent, and full of love and pain. When history is learned and understood in its rawest form it’s possible to conclude that the events of today are nothing out of the ordinary and merely a continuation of human history — ugly, savagely violent, and full love and pain. It’s our history, our present, our world, and it’s up to us to take action to shape the future.

What’s not to believe, yes we still have to protest shit, and more importantly, we have to take action to get shit done.