Dravius Oneil said, “The song police is about police beating up people who uses wheelchairs!”
Krip-Hop Nation (KHN): I just met Dravius on the internet and his song, “Police Abuse the Disabled” is just a reminder that this issue of police brutality against people with disabilities goes beyond Krip-Hop Nation and knowing it hits us all. The skit at the beginning of the song sounds like a regular call for help that turned negative or just a run in with a cop at a rally when the cop comes in swinging says: “ Back up shut up or I will arrest you too”. The lady is screaming and the cop says: “You don’t think people in wheelchairs comes can assault people? Well you just did!” Then the song starts. The chorus says it all
Heavenly Father tell me what’s wrong with the police
You know they had the nerve to abuse the disability
Now won’t somebody tell me what’s wrong with the police
You know they had the nerve to abuse the disability
I have mix feeling. I’m excited that more Hip-Hop artists with disabilities are doing songs about this issue and on the other side it means it is happening more and more since I stared to advocated on this issue back in the late 80’s. Another good thing is that it tells a story about someone who is a wheelchair user. With the high awareness of police brutality against people with people with mental health disability many other stories have been there too like Jeremy McDole, a 28-year-old African-American paraplegic and wheelchair user who was shot and killed by police in Wilmington, Del., Musa Fudge, Black homeless man with a prosthetic leg who was beat up by 14 SFPD and many youth with autism who have been profiled, beat up and some killed by police officers also Deaf people.
Hip-Hop artists with disabilities’ like Dravius Oneil cultural work, songs and videos are needed in schools, on T.V., on stage, activist’s circles and everywhere else for change of attitudes, policies and more.
Here is the mp3 & written lyrics of Dravius Oneil song “Police Abuse the Disabled”
Song Lyrics:
Heavenly Father tell me what’s wrong with the police
You know they had the nerve to abuse the disability
Now won’t somebody tell me what’s wrong with the police
You know they had the nerve to abuse the disability
They see we can’t walk. Some can barely talk.
Can somebody tell Daddy D what’s wrong with the law
Bullets flying everywhere and bouncing off the wall
They got the whole world scared saying nothin’ at all
Now a day if something happens we don’t know who to call
And they suppose to have our backs not make us fall
Everybody a suspect, shootin’ them down like a dog
And ain’t trying to read our rights at all
Everybody getting’ slammed like we playing football
You can’t get yourself together, they steady trying to rush y’all
Now all that man did was tapped him on the nose
And he could’ve been a real cop and just let it go
But he had to be a sap and slang his wheelchair to the floor
And he gave him a two piece and knock’em out cold
It ain’t new how the police be losin’ their cool
He told the nurse to back up or I’ll arrest you too
It’s a shame when the law don’t show no sympathy for you
It’s crazy what we see what crooked cops can do
That’s why you see people cuttin’ up acting a fool
Cuz everyday you see something bad happenin’ in the news