The New Basic Skills in America: The 3Rs: Rage, Ravage & Rioting In Ferguson

My Dear Readers,

     Another fire is raging. Prior to the summer of 2014, Ferguson, Missouri was a quiet town near the city of St. Louis, MO. 

     According to the US Census, 21, 203 people call Ferguson home.  It the home of Emerson Electric, and its largest academic institution is Florissant Valley Community College.  Its claim to fame is being named “Playful City, USA” for the fourth year in a row.

    However, it’s not playful in Ferguson anymore. It may now be known as the City of the 3Rs: Rage, Ravage and Riot.  As we watch the developments in Ferguson over the past week, we are horrified.  We ask ourselves, how can this be happening in America?  Race rioting in 2014?  When we have Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States? What do “these people” want?

    What these people want is what all of us should have, which is the ability to walk the streets in peace without being viewed as being suspicious or being stopped without due cause. As a parent of an African-American adult son, I want to be able to sleep peacefully without the fear of my son being killed by law enforcement. 

     As a parent, when I receive a telephone call from my children, I want not to have to respond to an emergency that resulted from their interaction with law enforcement.

     These people want what I want. I want peace.  I want the rights that come from paying my taxes—one of which is protection.  When it comes to law enforcement, I want to know that my complexion won’t be a consideration for receiving protection. 

     When my children were young, “Officer Friendly” came to the elementary school handing out toys and badges and if a K-9 dog was available, the kids were allowed to pet the pooch. 

     Today, Officer Friendly has been nailed shut in a coffin and buried deep.  “Po Po” and his sidekick, Fang, have replaced him and his friendly pooch.   Now when they come to school, it is about roaming the hallways and searching lockers for weapons and drugs.

     There is a reason why law enforcement buried Officer Friendly and his four legged buddy.  Law enforcement has come to accept that due to its history of abuses, relations with ethnic minority communities will always be ones of tension and suspicion, and that occasional “blow ups,” like the one happening now in Ferguson, are going to be regular occurrences. 

      My writing is not about a rant against law enforcement.  As a veteran of the US military and the son of a retired police officer, I believe in law and order just as much as I believe in a moral and just society.  No, my intent today is to write about those who seek to Rage, Ravage and Riot.

     The following letter I received from one of my readers inspired me to write this segment.  She states:

…. It is sad about Mr. Brown, the 18-year-old black youth who was shot by the police.  Another senseless murder of a young Black man.

     Then there is the looting and burning of the community that the people live in.  I have never understood looting and vandalism as a means to show protest.  The news coverage reminded me of the films of the civil unrest, rioting, and looting of the 60’s.  

     When will this stop? Will it always be this way?  What is the solution? Will we find a nonviolent way of protesting? 

     Will protesting in a non-violent way be effective?  What will it take for young black men to stop being murdered by each other or by the police?

      A middle aged African-American woman residing in Seattle wrote this letter.  Like I said earlier, in answer what do these people want?    

     I will leave the question of the events that led up to the current sordid affairs to the outcome of the investigation by the US Justice Department and its investigative arm, the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The point is that just like all Americans, what we want is peace, and in this case, the peaceful resolution of what appears to be a racial conflict that started with the death of an African-American teenager in Ferguson, MO.

     As we begin, it would be helpful to take a look at the demographics of the town leading up to this incident. 

• The town has a population of 21,203.
• 67.4% of the residents are black, 29.3% are white
• The police chief and mayor are white
• Of the six City Council members, one is black
• The local school board does not have any members who are black.  It consists of six white members, and one Latino member
• There are 53 commissioned officers on the local police force of which three are black and two are of other ethnic minority groups.  There are no blacks in supervisory or executive positions in the chain of command.
• Three of the officers are women and 50 are men.
• In a recent state report on racial profiling (2013), 86% of the traffic stops, 92% of the searches and 92% of all the arrests in the city were of black residents
• In comparison to whites, blacks when stopped by police were twice as likely to be arrested.

     So, what we have now is a town that is a disaster waiting to happen:

• A population that is overwhelmingly black (67%),
• That population being controlled and its laws enforced by a police department that is overwhelmingly white (97%),
• And, the executive power (mayor) administrative authority (city council), and the educational leadership (school board), ALL in the hands of the white minority.

     So what do these people want? Peace.  These people want the commitment and understanding that the law enforcement and government apparatus in their town will show value and concern for the lives of their children, regardless of their race. 

     According to one media report, police, security guards or self-appointed vigilantes kill a black person every 28 hours. There have been a number of highly publicized incidents in recent years in which unarmed African-American males have been shot to death or died while being detained by law enforcement.  These incidents include:

• In 2001 Seattle WA an unarmed Aaron Roberts was shot and killed while his arms were raised.  The police officer stated his weapon accidently discharged.  No charges were filed.  The officer was transferred to a different precinct.

• In 2001, police in Cincinnati, OH killed an unarmed 19-year-old Timothy Thomas as he attempted to evade arrest.  No charges were filed.

• In 2009, 22 year old Oscar Grant was shot by a police officer in Oakland CA while lying face down following an incident in which the officer claimed he accidentally grabbed his service revolver while reaching for his taser weapon.  The officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served 11 months in prison.

• In 2012, NYPD police officers barged into the home of unarmed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham without a warrant, shooting him to death in front of his grandmother and six year old brother.  The case has been under review by the Department of Justice for the last two years.  No findings have been released.

• In 2014, Eric Garner, 43 and unarmed, died from a illegal chokehold during a encounter with the police in Staten Island New York.  The medical examiner has ruled the case as a homicide.  The officers involved have not been charged. The NYPD has called for more training for its officers. 

      In the majority of these incidents, peaceful and nonviolent protests & demonstrations were planned and carried out.  However, in several communities:  Oakland, Cincinnati and now Ferguson MO, rage, ravaging and rioting erupted.  Why?

     There are two types of human behaviors that can lead to this rage, ravage, and riot. These behaviors can be described as a reaction and a response. Contrary to common opinion, these are as different as night & day.

     It is under the cover of darkness that the 3Rs-- rage, ravaging and rioting—become the rule.  It is a reaction to the shooting.  It is a statement of anger, hopelessness, and poverty.   It is at night that looting and shootings happen, allowing fear to consume the inhabitants. It is under these conditions that people can become splintered and defiant, thus allowing lawlessness to take hold.

      During the daylight and evening hours, reason prevails, allowing for peaceful gatherings. It is reason and hope that allow for non-violent protest and demonstration to be the response for those seeking change through an orderly process. 

Concluding Words

     As of Wednesday, 8/13/14, the Associated Press reports that civil unrest and racial tension remain highly inflamed. How are the police responding to peaceful demonstration and exercise of free speech?

      Not well.  According to media reports from Color of Change on 8/14/14:

“Last night, St. Louis and Ferguson police, dressed and equipped with armored tanks and military rifles fired tear gas, rubber coated bullets and flash grenades at thousands of Black residents exercising their right to peacefully assemble and demand accountability for the police killing of 18-year old Michael Brown.             

Many were injured in the war-like environment as police displayed a blatant disregard for civil rights, unlawfully arresting dozens of people including members of the press.  Local authorities have proven incapable and the federal government must step in.”

     Let me see hmm…

• A small town that was once known as “Playful City, USA.” is now on fire.
• American citizens are exercising free speech in a manner of peaceful assembly.  Police are responding using armored vehicles, tear gas and smoke grenades
• Police, security guards or self-appointed vigilantes throughout the USA kill a black person every 28 hours.

     Seems like we haven’t figured out what steps to take.  Shall we leave it up to our leaders?

     My Dear Readers,

• WE know the score.  
• WE are Americans.
  And WE also know that WE can’t expect those leaders to solve this riddle of OURS called RACE.
  “Once burned, we learn. If we do not learn we only assure ourselves that we will be burned again and again and again until ...we learn.”
  -Ten Flashes of Light for the Journey Called Life
  So what do these people want?
  The same as you may want.
  Until the next crossroads….The journey continues.

Uncovering, Recovering and Discovering: The Morally Right Thing to Do

My Dear Readers,

     It’s time that I bring closure to these writings regarding the mob action in Detroit MI. As I bring this to closure, I seek to honor the feelings that lay deep within me.

     I have really questioned myself regarding my outrage about this incident, and I continue to be confronted with silence—the same silence that has stymied the police, prosecutors and the judiciary. The same silence of the community that has been reluctant to assist in the identification of the remaining assailants so they can be held responsible for their criminal actions.

     As I stood at the crossroads, utilizing the re-evaluation phase of the Five Rs of Relief model,  I began asking myself the following questions:

·      Have I ever been in a situation where I felt conflicted in my decision to do the right thing?

·       What was this troublesome feeling laying within my psychological self about doing the morally right thing”?

·      How would I feel about myself for “not doing the morally right thing”?

      And then the moment of awakening arrived! Standing there, “at the crossroads:” I began to reflect on an experience I had:

     33 years ago, I worked for one of the suburban counties surrounding the city of Seattle during the summer break from graduate school. One day, I witnessed an accident involving multiple cars.  My office was across the driveway from the local police department, so I went to the front desk of the police department and informed the desk officer of what I had observed.

     The police officer immediately rose from his seat and came out of the office. Standing directly in front of me, he demanded to know what I had to do with it.  I replied that I’d witnessed the accident and was simply reporting what I had observed.   As I turned to leave, I watched him continue to eye me suspiciously.

     When I returned to my office, it dawned on me as I looked at my surroundings, that I was a young black man, working a summer job in a white community in which I did not know any of the residents. And, I’d just had a rather uncomfortable encounter with a white police officer.  

     A chill went down my spine as I realized that in attempting to do the “morally right thing,” I’d placed myself in a position where I could be viewed as a person at fault for the vehicle accident I witnessed, and that the basis of that suspicion was due to my skin color and ethnicity—the fact that I am African-American. 

     I became fearful.  I realized that it was not too late for the police officer to decide to detain me, so I quickly retreated to the safety of Seattle, where there were other people who looked like me.  

      Upon seeing the image of the Space Needle, I finally relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.  I chided myself for being stupid for putting myself at risk in my attempt to do the “morally right thing,” and I swore to myself that I would NEVER, NEVER do that again.   

     Today, I recall the relief that flooded me as well as the anger at myself for the danger I’d placed myself in. Given that experience, I want YOU, THE READER, to consider the experience I just stated.

·      Was I being paranoid?

·      Was I being oversensitive?

·      Was I overreacting?

·      Was I ever at risk at injury?

·      WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT TIME?

     I wonder what was going through the mind of the white motorist when following the accident:

·      He found himself in a community in which no one resembled him:

·      He was being surrounded by an angry mob

·      He was saying he was sorry and pleading for his life

·      The members of the crowd of 100 either stood by in silence or cheered on the mob.

·      After having experienced being severely beaten, what would he do the next time should he be in a same or similar situation?

·      If you had been the motorist, what would YOU have done?

     Being human, we respond to the experiences and events that have impacted our lives.  I cannot speak for the white motorist, nor can I speak for African-American people.  I can only speak for myself.   

      There will be those who will believe that unlike the white motorist, I was never in danger.  Consequently, there may be an unwillingness to make a reasonable comparison to these two very different events. 

     Yet in both situations, there is a journey, and from that journey came an experience. And, experiences often form the foundation of our belief systems, and in this case, my belief system regarding interaction with law enforcement.

     I will certainly admit that during that incident 33 years ago, I lived in fear of the police, a fear that was born when I was 8 years old.

     I grew up during turbulent times, including the stressful 60’s and the civil rights movement.  I have lived in racially segregated communities.  I was raised during a time that “strange fruit,” was growing bountifully throughout the Southern and Midwestern United States. For those unfamiliar, Strange Fruit was a song made famous by the jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday for its lyrical depiction of the mob inspired lynching of black people that occurred in this era.

     I have experienced race riots.  I remember being locked down in my community when the Reverend Martin Luther King was assassinated and the resulting burning, rioting and turmoil in major cities across the country.

     I have come to realize that my community, in its desire to obtain a better life for those generations to follow, willingly sacrificed a generation in order to achieve the goals.  It was in school that I truly learned the meaning of the expression “the ends justify the means.”  I learned that if a goal is morally important enough, then any method of achieving it is acceptable.

     So, day after day, African-American parents sent their children to what was, in many cases, a school environment that was openly or covertly hostile to integration, while the adults suffered the same indignities at restaurants, public drinking fountains, and other establishments.   And yes, at the end of the struggle, we were successful. We succeeded in achieving our goals of integration and the re-definition of our ethnic identity.  Victories had occurred in the areas of housing, education, military service and employment, among others. 

     But what about the children?  What had they observed?  How were they impacted?  As a child at the age of eight years old, I remember the pastor leading us in singing “Onward Christian Soldiers,” as if to prepare us for the very real battle we were going to wage.  The first verse goes as follows:

“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war

With the cross of Jesus going on before

Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;

Forward into battle see His banners go!”

     And off to war we went.

     We made our parents and community proud.  We had faith in our leadership, clergy and parents. We kept our faith, but we also kept quiet. We were often traumatized by what we saw and endured. On the outside we looked good and yet on the inside, those of us, who were emotionally and psychologically wounded, did the best we could as we “suffered in silence.”

    In my own “Journey of Self Discovery,” I have come to realize that life is really about “uncovering, recovering and discovering its true essence and meaning. Specifically, I seek to uncover the layers of emotional and psychological scarring that may have limited my life; advocate towards healing and recovery from the wounding and finally work towards the discovery of my true self and living the fullness of my life and what it has to offer.

      Many of us, “the children of segregation,” experience this trauma again in modern life when faced with all too familiar circumstances.    For me, my major concern was an abiding fear of the police and German Shepherd Dogs.

     As a therapy patient, I would often come across therapists who were just as unfamiliar with the specific issues present within my community’s history as they were with my specific issues. These well-meaning, but sometimes patronizing mental health professionals told me that I had a “phobia,” an extreme and irrational fear of the police--, and that I should just take some pills, relax, and in time, I would just “get over the fear.”   

      I never got over my fear.  In fact, as I continue to move on in life, as I saw that I was continuously being viewed as a suspect by police officers, my fear only increased.  It was only while writing my dissertation on complex trauma under the direction of the internationally acclaimed trauma expert and licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Laura Brown that I learned that my fears were not phobias and were instead normal reactions to racism in the form of stereotyping and racial profiling. 

     Furthermore, I was able to learn and appreciate that my reactions to the police were not based on paranoia, but a vigilance I developed, and that it was again, normal given my experiences.

     Returning to the incident in Detroit, I believe the white motorist was also a victim of racism in the form of stereotyping and racial profiling.  In stopping to help the child, he did so because he felt it was the morally right thing to do.  

     His action speaks loudly, where the shame of the crowd of the 100, the political leaders, civic activists and civil right organizations continues to be hidden in silence. 

Concluding Words

     In acknowledging the end of this journey and the beginning of another, I want to reiterate that fear is neither good nor bad.  It is neither black nor white.

     Fear is simply an emotion that can be accompanied by a range of other emotions.  Fear is here.  FOREVER. 

     I have lived the earlier part of my life “in fear.”  The sadness that remains true is that the consequence to living in fear is not to live, but to just exist.  

     That portion of my life cannot be returned to me.  However I can uncover the scarring, recover or heal the wounds and in doing so, discover how to live a full, purposeful and meaningful life. 

     Many years ago I chided myself for placing myself at risk in reporting to the police my observance of a motor vehicle accident. I hope that should another opportunity come along in which I observe another motor vehicle accident, that I will do as the white motorist did in Detroit: the morally right thing. 

     Fear is here.  Forever. Live In Fear or With Fear.  You Choose….  

Until the next crossroads….  The journey continues….

WE the PEOPLE: It Really Is About WE THE PEOPLE.. Right?

My Dear Readers,

     Writing the last several weeks of the “At The Crossroads” segment on the beating of the motorist in Detroit, MI has been a whirlwind for me. 

     Initially, I was outraged by what was clearly a racially motivated physical assault upon an innocent white motorist as he sought to assist a black child he struck with his car as the child darted into the street.

     I acknowledged being bewildered and confused by the actions going on within the trial, particularly the trial judge’s comments to one of the defendants that he “needed a dad, someone to beat the hell out of you when you make a mistake.”

      The following week, I felt both angered and disappointed, feeling justice had been denied to the motorist, Mr. Steve Utash, upon learning that the total number of years of incarceration received for ALL five defendants was 7.6 years. 

     My anger, bewilderment and disappointment in the judicial system led me to write an open letter to the jurist regarding his comments.  No doubt Judge Callahan has received many messages for others expressing similar feelings, but I admit that I was wrong.  I allowed my emotions to speak for me.  In doing so, I failed to follow one of my own teachings:  the Five R’s of Relief, a therapeutic model of empowerment that I base my clinical practice upon. 

The model involves the following steps:

·      Respite- step away, taking a breather

·      Reactions- own them because these are yours and no one else.

·      Reflections- processing the combination of feelings and thoughts

·      Response-achieved from the process and communicated to the external world

·      Reevaluation-review, reframe and refocus on the perceiving acts or actions

     In my rush to criticize a clear wrong, I failed to adequately initiate the model that I devised.  Where did my failure begin? 

      I did the same thing that the mob and the pursuing crowd of 100 onlookers did following the accident that day. I failed to take a respite, to step away from the moment temporarily, and address it calmly.  The mob and ensuring crowd assumed that the motorist was wrong.  Likewise, I assumed that the trial judge, due to his comments and light sentences for the defendants, was wrong and that a grievous injustice had been done. 

     I also failed to own my reactions.  Like the crowd of 100 onlookers and the mob, I was unable and unwilling to engage in the processing of my feelings and thoughts. I was unwilling to reflect on the entire situation, which would have allowed me to see this from all perspectives, and not just my own. As a result, I allowed my anger, outrage and disappointment in the judicial system to be my response and this is what I communicated to the external world.

     The actions were the same, but the consequences were different for my reaction and the reactions of the onlookers. Where my reaction resulted in a letter to the judge, the reaction of the mob resulted in the beating of the motorist.  Nevertheless, the issue is that neither I nor the mob took the time to adequately reflect, and needless suffering, whether physical or emotional, resulted.

     Hindsight is 20/20.  In looking back, one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time.  Now that I have this chance to re-evaluate, I’m beginning to truly listen and see the situation for what it really was.  

     It was during this re-evaluation time that I realized that the trial judge and the judiciary were being used as scapegoats for the media and the fury of an angry and disappointed public audience.  Where were the civic leaders?  Where were the community activists? Where were Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al?  Where were the civil rights organizations?  Why are they all silent on this issue?

     Light sentences for juvenile offenders in serious cases are not rare. In 2013 in Fort Worth, TX, 16-year-old Ethan Couch received a sentence of 10 years probation following killing four pedestrians in a car accident, after the judge determined that the youth suffered from “affluenza,” a pseudo-psychological condition in which the adolescent is unable to fully comprehend the consequences of his actions because of the fact that he was born into a wealthy family.

     In the Detroit MI assault case, 19 year-old Latrez Cummings, a defendant who was a minor at the time of the beating, was sentenced to six months in jail and five years probation.  What was the justification for the light sentence?  He did not have a father figure in his life. 

     In re-evaluating this, it is important to  review, reframe and refocus on the specific actions, because one is susceptible to jump to easy conclusions, such as blaming the judiciary for the outcome of these cases.     

      However, both cases merely demonstrate something that we have always known—that the judiciary is inadequate in the administration of justice when race and ethnicity are called into play. Therefore, the judiciary and individual judges cannot be used as the barometer for measuring changes in the general public.

Closing Remarks

     I began this writing by indicating that the last several weeks have been a whirlwind for me. And, as the trial judge handed down the punishment he felt was fair, I too have the right to verbalize my opinion regarding the ruling and his comments.

     This is what you do in a “just and moral society.”   One does not seek justice in the streets.  As we see, it is often the innocent that suffer the consequences for the mistaken perceptions of others. 

     Only five of the 12-20 males involved in the brutal assault of the motorist were brought to trial to answer for their actions.  Although I may strongly disagree with the penalties they were issued, as least there is some accountability.

     However, the major concern that I have is the silence that came from the crowd of 100 onlookers and the community in which they reside.   They either stood by in silence or acted in concert, rooting as that innocent motorist was being pummeled by the mob. 

    It is that crowd and that community that failed to cooperate with the police investigation in identifying the remaining assailants of the 12-20 individuals involved in the attack. In effect, the crowd and the community are working in collaboration with the remaining assailants by refusing to cooperate with the ongoing criminal investigation.

      This would indeed be a great opportunity for our civil rights organizations to not only condemn rage and poverty as a justification for violence, but to initiate the process of community empowerment with the cooperation of law enforcement and the judiciary.

     It is often that communities will complain about the lack of policing and protection in their areas, and comment that other areas are given more attention.  However, for policing and protection to be successful, law enforcement and the judiciary are dependent on the cooperation of the community in the identification of those who seek to harm others.

     There are another 15 suspects out there.  The community may know who they are.   There is no free ride; in order to gain the benefits of protection, the community must cooperate with law enforcement.

     WE the PEOPLE can continue pointing the finger at each other or we can choose to accept responsibility and work for change in how we relate and interact with each other.

It really is about WE the PEOPLE…right?

 

Until the Next Crossroads…The Journey continues.

Fear Is Knocking At Your Door: The Beat Goes On

My Dear Readers,

     I must admit that at first I didn’t get it. Like most simple law abiding folks, I got caught up with what I felt was the inadequacy of the justice system.  I was wrong.  The problem is neither the justice system nor the jurist overseeing the trial.  The problem lies within us. WE, the PEOPLE. 

     I am speaking about the recent judicial decisions and comments that were handed down in Detroit MI (Wayne County 3^rd Judicial Circuit) regarding the brutal beating of an innocent motorist by a mob of black adult and juvenile males.  

     I also realize I am not the only one who doesn’t understand the rationale of the judicial bench.

The following factors are not disputed:

• There was a vehicle-pedestrian accident in which a white motorist struck a 10 year old child who darted off the curb into traffic.
• The motorist immediately stopped his vehicle and sought to provide assistance to the child.
• The motorist was immediately attacked by a group of 12-20 black males.
• A group of 100 onlookers stood by observing, taking no action.
• The attack was finally halted when a black woman, a retired nurse carrying a .38 Smith & Wesson handgun, displayed the weapon and ordering the mob to desist.
• Although 100 bystanders (all black) observed the assault, only three witnesses came forward to assist with the investigation thus limiting the numbers arrested to the four adults and one juvenile being charged in the case.

     It was clear to me that given the information presented, the physical assault and mob action were racially motivated.   This was affirmed during the arraignment process when all five individuals where charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and ethnic intimidation.

     As a result of the assault, the motorist, Mr. Steve Utash, was in a medically induced coma for 10 days, and has suffered brain damage that has severely reduced his ability to physically function as well as financially provide for his family.

      Following victim impact statements by the victim’s family including the fact that Mr. Utash was pleading for his life, the total sentencing for all five individuals amounts to 7.6 years, probation and drug testing.

     Many do not feel that the punishment received fits the crime.  The sad irony is that the victim will spend more time recuperating from the attack than the collective amount of time spent in jail for the perpetrators.

     And worse,  the presiding judge’s statement that the criminal action of one of the defendants was due to “not having a father in his life that would have beat the hell out of him” was a disservice in the sentencing aspect of the judicial process. In response, Rochelle Riley, an African-American columnist for the Detroit Free Press, wrote:

“We watch the system work.  We watched—and waited for justice.  We’re still waiting.”

     Charlie LeDuff, another African-American  columnist who writes for the New York Times, commented:

“Where are the old-school civil rights advocates who usually spoke out against such beatings?  Where was Reverend Al?  Why did it take Jesse Jackson almost two weeks to say something?  And nothing from President Obama.  Rage and hopelessness are no excuses here.  All Detroit, black or white, noticed the silence.”

      We ALL, across the nation, noticed the silence. 

      It may be that throughout this nation, leadership, regardless of color or ethnicity, are silent and hopeful that the incident in Detroit will quietly go away.  It is very likely that African-Americans throughout the nation were just as upset as White Americans regarding the beating of an innocent motorist.  So why are we all silent?

      It is just as likely that African-Americans throughout the nation are just as upset as White Americans regarding the lack of credibility in the sentencing of the five defendants. So why are we all silent?  

     We actively voiced our outrage over what happened in Jasper, TX incident in which a black man was decapitated and killed in an incident that was clearly racist.  Why do we remain silent now a situation in which an innocent white motorist was almost beaten to death and left with brain damage and now the inability to provide for his family?

     In the New York Times, LeDuff records a conversation he had with three black men in the Detroit neighborhood where the mob attack:

“They called Mr. Utash an honorable man for stopping to help when too many people in this city don’t.  They mocked the silence of civic leaders.  They know the score.  They’re Americans.  And they also know that we can’t expect those leaders to solve this riddle of ours called race.”

  “They know the score.” Interesting. “They’re Americans.”  Interesting.   And most telling:

“And they also know that we can’t expect those leaders to solve this riddle of ours called race.” 

Now let’s multiply that throughout the nation:

• WE know the score.  
• WE are Americans.
• And WE also know that WE can’t expect those leaders to solve this riddle of OURS called RACE.” 

   Last week, I turned 61 years old. I spent a significant part of my youth growing up in the southern United States, during the time when segregation was legal.  I sat in the back of the bus, used facilities designated for “colored only” and attended segregated schools. 

    During my youth, I was unwittingly used as a tool to desegregate white-only schools.  I, along with countless other “colored” children, were directed by our political leaders, clergy and parents to endure traumatic events as we simply sought to achieve a quality education. We were removed from a warm, caring environment within an economically disadvantaged and low functioning school for colored children and placed in strange, socially distanced and hostile environments in which we were often the only black children in our classes. We were essentially sacrificed for the cause of integration.

      I do not fault our parents, as I understand that they wanted more for our generation than they had been forced to endure within theirs. Needless to say, the experiences I had for the next two years were traumatizing.   There was no counseling offered by the school and no discussion at home as to what we endured.

     What have we learned today from this social experience called integration?  Our children can ride at the back of the bus if they choose to (I personally do not, as it brings up painful memories.)   Our schools are integrated.  So are the restaurants and restrooms.

     Racial strife and racial tension remains a major division among us today.  I have learned, as many other Americans have,  that you can pass legislation to direct and control human behavior.  However, no law can legislate what lies deep within the “psychological self.”

     In our desire to distance ourselves from the pain, rage, and powerlessness that surrounds us, many of us close our eyes, silence our voices and stick our heads in the sand, hoping  that incidents like the ones in Jasper, TX and Detroit, MI will not happen “in my town, my city or my backyard.”

      Integration did not solve the problems of the poor and disenfranchised.  In fact, crime is a major factor in ten cites with large ethnic minority populations.  So what do we learn from the mob action and resulting judicial actions in Detroit?

• We learn that the judiciary continues to be inadequate in the administration of justice when race and ethnicity are called into play.
• We learn that our leadership, regardless of color, will remain silent and hope that the problem will go away.
• We learn that law enforcement and criminal prosecutions may be lacking in black communities because of the lack of citizen cooperation with ongoing investigations.
• We learn of the frustrations of law abiding citizens of such communities seeking the same protection that is offered to other communities.
• We learn that the lack of fathering can be utilized as a justification to minimize responsibility for criminal acts.
• We learn that rage is a powerful and serious problem.  Not only in Detroit but also as in other cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Baltimore and Chicago.  It was in these cities that 82 people were shot within 84 hours of the most recent July Fourth weekend.
• Most importantly, we learn to reinforce living in FEAR of each other 

      It has always been my belief that FEAR is simply another emotion.  It is neither good nor bad.  The issue is how we as people utilize fear.  We can continue to use it as a weapon, as it has been in this situation,  reinforcing our internal demands to live in fear of each other and therefore maintaining racial strife. Or, we as a society can come together and learn to live with fear and not in fear.

      Fear is here.  Forever.  The fear that lives in Detroit also lives in cities throughout the country.  It is for us to choose how we respond to it.  In Fear or With Fear.

      I didn’t get it at first, but I do now.  Rochelle Riley illustrates my journey to this point perfectly.

“...we don’t talk about rage until it presents itself or hurts someone. And rage has no place in the courtroom where Steve Utash and his family hoped for justice after he was nearly killed on an east side street.

     Until we can ensure that the next person who stops regardless of their race, won’t face a pummeling squad, then no one is going to stop, no one’s going to help, no one is going to care. And the beat goes on."

       I get it now.  I truly get it. 

To the Honorable James Callahan, Judge, Wayne County Superior Court, 3^rd Judicial Circuit

Dear Sir,

      I was WRONG.  I extend my sincere apologies to you.

      I will continue to oppose your sentiment that the young man you sentenced "needed a dad, someone to beat the hell out of him when he made a mistake," as it can be used to endorse violence as a means to prevent violence.  Instead, I continue to believe that advocating for violence as a response to violence will only create further violence.  In the end, we become victims who live in constant fear of each other.

     However, it is clear that you are being used as the scapegoat or more specifically "left holding the empty bag".  Our leadership, be it black or white, stands silently on the sidelines while you and the judiciary take the brunt of the hits from the media and the public.

 

      I get it now.  I truly get it.  WE the PEOPLE can continue pointing the finger at each other or we can choose to accept responsibility and work for change in how we relate and interact with each other.  In fear or with fear.  We can choose.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Micheal Kane Psy.D. MSW CTS LICSW

 

Until the next crossroads…the journey continues.

 

Advocating For A Beatdown: Two Wrongs Don’t Make It Right

My Dear Readers,

    
     In the 5.4.14 post “Another Consequence of Racial Hatred,” I responded to an incident where a group of black men physically attacked a white motorist who was aiding a black child he had struck as the child was crossing the street. The attack, observed by as many as 100 onlookers, was halted when an elderly black woman intervened and put the motorist in a coma that he remains in today.
 

     The media carried this incident across the country and the world, drawing comparisons to an incident in Jasper, TX when three white males, two of which were known to be white supremacists, murdered James Byrd Jr, a black man, by dragging him behind a pickup truck for three miles, resulting in his decapitation and death. The ensuing outcry from that case resulted in two of the men receiving death sentences, and the third was sentenced to life imprisonment.   

     I had the same expectations for justice as many others following the assault of the white motorist in Detroit, MI.  However, now that the legal proceedings have concluded, I am left confused and bewildered by the messages of the judge, who spoke not only for the “rule of law,” but also for the expectations of a “moral and just society.”   

     Here is where my confusion and bewilderment lies: one of the males involved in the attack was a juvenile.   The other three were adult males who (justifiably) received prison sentences for their roles in the racially motivated and unprovoked attack.  

     Upon the sentencing for Latrez Cummings, who by then had turned 19 years old and was being sentenced as an adult, the judge sentenced him to six months in jail.  Six months in jail for an unprovoked attack that left the motorist in a coma and struggling to survive? 

     One could assume that the lesser sentence was due to his status as a juvenile at the time of the criminal act. Okay. That would make sense to focus on rehabilitation and not punishment. The others, being adults, are fully accountable and are to be held to the consequences of their actions.   

     What I find shocking, highly questionable and totally unacceptable are the comments made by the judge during the sentencing phase.  

     The Associated Press (7/17/14) reported that Wayne County Judge James Callahan, in responding to Cummings’ statement of not having a father figure in his life, stated:


“You needed a dad, someone to beat the hell out of you when you made a mistake, as opposed to allowing you or encouraging you to do it to somebody else."


    What?  Is he serious?  Are we on another planet?  Our society is demanding accountability, and the judge is telling this young man that he needed a father to beat the hell out of him to keep the child from doing it to someone else? 


     But it doesn’t stop there.  As the prosecutor openly objects to a sentence in which she describes as being “too light,” she adds:


“There are many young black men who were raised without a father but haven’t committed crimes.” 


    Judge Callahan, who is white, was obviously offended by her remark.  He replied:


“Did I ever use the term “black”? It does not matter if the person is black, white, yellow or red.”  


     So, if color is not the issue, does this mean that all young men need their fathers to “beat the hell out of them?”  Is this the “rule of law” and the expectation of a moral and just society? As a father, am I expected to do this?  


     My confusion and bewilderment aside, as a professional, as a person and as a father, I am writing the following OPEN LETTER to Judge Callahan: 

To the Honorable James Callahan:
 

Dear Sir, 

     Respectfully, you are WRONG.  You suggest by your words that wrongful behavior must be used to prevent wrongful behavior, and that is a harmful message to send to society.   

     Granted, our citizenry was psychologically wounded by this attack.  The time of the sentencing was supposed to be a moment for healing of the wounds caused by racial strife.  

     However, the message that you provided not only serves to encourage more violence, but also serves to denigrate thousands of young males being raised in single parent homes who have not turned to violence as a means of expression. 

     You may have a lifestyle or live in a space where color and race are not factors, but the reality is that many of us have to respond to the issues of race and color every day.  As African American men, we respond to (and endure with indignation) spirit-wounding interactions on a daily basis just from hailing taxis, riding on crowded elevators and other simple acts when interacting with others in the public domain. 

     Your comments not only reinforce the concept of violence as a just and fair punishment for a slight, but also heightens FEAR, which often leads to more violence. Consider this: what will be on the mind of the next white motorist who has to contend with the legal and moral dilemma of stopping to care for another person following an accident while riding through a residential community comprised of people who are racially or ethnically different?  Do they stop and risk their safety?  What is the right thing to do? 

      Privilege and the good life allows individuals like yourself to wade in the legal waters with opinions that will impact the lives of others for many years to come.  What is sad, however, is that you truly do not understand the realities facing our psychologically wounded brethren as well as this missed opportunity to heal those who could have benefitted from prudent words and actions. 

     Judge Callahan, shame on you. Violence can never be the answer or tool for effective discipline for our children regardless of gender. In a moral and just society, it is essential that we identify alternative ways to communicate restraint and other such skills without the use of violence. 

     Just for a moment, consider the type of person who is raised with violence as his foundation.  What type of spouse will he become? How will conflict be resolved in spousal relationships?   Does one now add the term fear into the martial contract or vows? 

     Sir, this is not the type of society that I seek to leave for my children.  I call upon all men and women regardless of race, color or ethnicity to reject the reasoning that you have handed down from the judicial bench. 

     Your comments deepen the emotional wounds and diminish the good works of many of your judicial colleagues around this nation.  Truly, your words do not represent their beliefs or their oath of service to their communities. 

      One particular jurist, the Honorable LeRoy McCullough, Judge, King County Superior Court (Seattle, WA) is well known and respected by local citizens as well as within the legal community.   Judge McCullough has accepted it as his responsibility to serve as a role model from the judicial bench, church and community activities.  

     Judge McCullough has, on numerous occasions, spoken to youth, particularly young men of diverse ethnic communities, and offered guidance, role modeling and understanding as to the expectations of citizenry in a moral and just society.    

     One day Judge McCullough and I will have the opportunity to sit in fellowship and discuss your words.  The humanness of the error will be acknowledged, lessons will be learned, and as we conclude, the two of us will continue to honor our work and the passion of service to our communities. 

     Another missed opportunity.  What can we learn and take away from this?  To advocate for violence to prevent violence will only serve to achieve further violence.  In the end, we become victims living in fear of each other. 

     Let us stand at the crossroads and have the willingness to forsake violence and chose a different direction.  

     Without the rule of law, we live in a society bent on chaos.  As you sit on the judicial bench, please weigh your words carefully and serve to model the behavior that is desired in a moral and just society. 

Respectfully,  

Dr. Micheal Kane Psy.D. MSW, CTS LICSW

 

Until the next crossroads.  The journey continues…