Blow after Blow
Oh, friends. Another grand jury indictment ruling today. Or non-indictment ruling, rather. This time the victim was Eric Garner. If you aren’t familiar with what happened, here’s his story.
He was a 43-year-old man, husband and father of 6. He was a horticulturist for the New York City department of Parks & Recreation. He was known by his friends as a peacemaker; as generous and kind.
On July 17th of this year, at 445pm, he was approached by some New York City police officers on Bay Street, Staten Island. He’s reported as saying, “I was just minding my own business. Every time you see me you want to mess with me. I’m tired of it. It stops today.” Some of the officers touched him and he swatted their hands away, saying, “Don’t touch me, please.”
One of the officers then put him in a chokehold/headlock from behind in an attempt to subdue him. Chokeholds were explicitly banned by the NYPD in 1993, btw.
Garner could be heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.” He was not resisting. Some other officers then helped wrestle him to the ground and one of them pushed Garner’s head into the sidewalk. Garner said again, “I can’t breathe” but the officers left him there and did not offer him any assistance. He laid there for a full 7 minutes before anyone thought to offer any help. They did think to handcuff him though.
He died there on the sidewalk and all of it was caught on video. The medical examiners ruled his death a homicide by neck and chest compression.
Yet our justice system essentially says “Nah, it’s cool.”
I’ve heard a lot of conversations on social media lately about how we need more cameras. Body cameras. Dash cams. I even got a request to sign a petition for more police cameras in my email earlier this week. But what purpose will these cameras possibly serve? Do we think justice is assured if we capture it on tape? Please. We have Eric Garner dying right in front of us, ON CAMERA. John Crawford shot in the back, right in front of us, ON CAMERA. Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old shot at a playground, right in front of us, ON CAMERA.
White friends, can you even imagine this happening to you or your husband? Brother? Father? Have you ever even considered the possibility? If my husband was confronted by the cops and they literally choked him to death, what do you think would happen? How would I feel if the courts ruled that there shouldn’t even be a trial. A trial! Our laughable justice system today ruled that there shouldn’t even be a trial in Eric Garner’s case.
Even if you want to ignore the fact that study after study after study after study reveals how much racism still factors in to our every day existence in America; even if you think we’re post-racial; even if you refuse to put yourself and your children into this narrative; even if you insist on turning a blind a eye to stories like this one and this one and this one, don’t turn a blind eye to Eric Garner.
Jeremiah 22:3 in The Message translation says this:
Attend to matters of justice.
Set things right between people.
Rescue victims from their exploiters.
Don’t take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows.
Stop the murdering!
Nobody spoke up for Eric Garner on July 17th. Let’s raise our collective voice for him now. Let’s not turn a blind eye. This is a matter a justice and we must help set things right.
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Sign this petition asking that President Obama and the Attorney General for a full investigation.