All Cases, One Problem

by Queennandi

Po’lice brutality is a disease that has spread amongst and infected more than just the black and brown communities, and when it happens outside the “minority circle”, heads start to roll immediately. The response to SJ state student Phuong Ho’s unprovoked assault by po’lice was an typical outrage, but one can’t help but ask would Mr. ho’s unfortunate experience become the “posterboy” case of po’lice misconduct that leads the movement against po’lice terrorism?

No case of po’lice brutality should go unheard, nor unpunished. However, when someone from an non-black or non-brown nation falls victim to this illegal elimination process, the case usually becomes a high priority. Again it poses a question to rather if it is a “high priority”, or if the po’lice are simply being “corrected” for “overstepping boundaries” of “who to, and not to violate”. The recent rise of po’lice terror and murder, particularly in the Asian communities has gained a lot of media attention, but it must not overshadow the many lives already lost from this age-old method to “patrol and control”. The lesson learned here is that no non-white community is immune to this type of treatment, and that it is arrogant for ANY nation to turn its’ nose or head up to the fact that po’lice terror exists.

Another fact that receives little attention is the war the po’lice have declared on our youth. The children have been criminalized for not being able to rise above the oppression implemented with intentions on destroying them in the first place, thus resulting in a staggering rise of our children becoming a target for abuse and incarceration. Parents are constantly being denied the right to protect the well-being and destinies of the youth, while the nay saying political figures have unlimited means to systematically abuse our children.

National day of protest against police brutality took place this past Thursday (22nd) where families and survivors alike came in small masses to tell their stories. This was the national day that fallen comrades and leaders such as Idriss Stelley, Cameron Boyd, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Bobby Hutton and Chairman Fred Hampton were remembered. For some of us at the gathering, it was an almost-new experience, but for those such as myself it was a wound re-opener and a slap-in-the face fact that regardless of our heroes and sheroes’ waterfalls of bloodshed, the struggle continues.