Standing with Baton Rouge

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Breaking news: Barack Obama holds a press conference on Afghanistan to announce he will keep 8,400 troops on the ground through the end of his administration. Scary times and many questions to be answered. I wonder, are we really ready for this? My generation explicitly demonstrated for no more wars that are not in defense of the United States. Maybe times have changed and I am out of sync?

Well, the breaking news was supposed to be the president’s press conference. Wow, was I confused. Turns out the real breaking news is the revelation of another black man shot by white cops in the Louisiana city of Baton Rouge. A father of five shot dead during an arrest. A bystander recorded a part of the altercation. The police involved stated that their body cams were lost in the scuffle. The police confiscated the store owner’s video security system. The mayor said he was not going to be a part of any cover up, and asked the District Attorney’s office to intercede. The family of the victim, the local NAACP leadership, attorneys and community stood firm, tall, tearful and strong in calling for transparency. They want to know the facts. The people call for justice.

What is amazing to me is the fierce resistance to violence. There would be no Ferguson or repeat of the 1968 riots. The people of Baton Rouge were not going to react violently, emotionally, impulsively or illegally. Their forefathers had borne the chains, withstood the whips, lynching, geographic restrictions, Jim Crow and other demeaning, derogatory, despicable travesties. I have the greatest respect for them. They are demonstrating the strength and inclusiveness of the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution always included all human beings and as we all now know, there were some people, who just out of ignorance or greed, just did not know that.

We stand with you Baton Rouge. Hold on to civility. Stand tall and in peace. We will stand with you.

Angie Whitehurst is a vendor for Street Sense.


Issues |Systemic Racism

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