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Local
But Yet They Survive
seconds. That is, roughly, how long it took cops in Ohio to kill 12-year-old
Tamir Rice from the time they arrived on the scene to in- vestigate a call concerning a child pointing a gun at people inside of a local park to the moment they discharged their firearms.
Even though the dispatcher informed the responding offi- cers that the gun was thought to be a toy, it didn't stop them from gunning down little Tamir before the squad car could come to a complete stop. In that instance the cops didn't bother to give Tamir a chance to drop his plastic weapon and surrender peacefully. They simply recognized that they were dealing with a young, Black, male and did what came naturally.
I couldn't help but think back to that tragedy after com- ing across an unbelievable news story out of Volusia County the other day where a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year- old girl were involved in a shootout with several Volusia
County deputies. In that case the members of law enforce- ment on the scene were ap- plauded for showing "great restraint" by not using lethal force against the two juvenile suspects who were clearly at- tempting to cause the deputies serious harm.
In the body cam footage re- leased to the public you can see the officers ducking for cover while cautiously attempting to resolve the situation without injuring either of the children. In one clip a cop can actually be heard saying "please don't make me do this" as he strug- gles with the idea that he may have to shoot one or both of his teenage attackers to end the ordeal.
Fortunately, for the two young people in this incident, the assault ended without ei- ther of them losing his or her life. Though the female suf- fered a gunshot wound, and each of them was charged with several counts of attempted- murder on law enforcement, they were both able to live and see another day.
I don't think it takes a
rocket scientist to recognize that the main reason why these two incidents ended so differ- ently is due, in no small part, to the fact that the cops in the Vo- lusia County scenario were more careful with their actions solely because of the skin com- plexion of the culprits. It is not a stretch to assume that, had the two juveniles shooting at the officers had much darker skin tones, the situation would have ended with the presence of body bags instead of ambu- lances.
Some people will point to this case as proof that all cops aren't trigger-happy maniacs on the constant search for tar- get practice. But, to me, it sim- ply strengthens the argument that deadly force is not only unnecessary in most instances, but seems to be specifically re- served for a certain heavily melanin-enriched demo- graphic.
Do not get me wrong, hear- ing stories about cops exhibit- ing patience when dealing with the people who they swore an oath to serve and protect is al- ways good news. But it be- comes both sad and frustrating to think about how many indi- viduals would still be alive today if this, so-called, "re- straint" was applied equally.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can email Mr. Barr at: cbscribe2@- gmail.com.
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Dog Whistling And Critical Race Theory
aybe it’s in the drinking water or food being eaten by Republicans. First, they opposed holding law en- forcement officers accountable for racist and dis-
criminatory behavior targeting Black citizens.
Then they fought against anti-hate legislation for violence against Asians. Next, they enacted voter suppression laws in
every state with a Republican majority legislature.
Now under pretext of banning the teaching of critical race theory (CRT)-designed to teach an “understanding of how American racism has shaped public policy and the disparities that exist among Black Americans in the areas of employ- ment, housing, education, wealth and business ownership,” they’re trying to suppress in another way. Other disparities exist in access to health care, criminal justice, and the impact
of economic policies.
Redistricting and voter suppression laws today are based
in the legacy of slavery, Reconstruction and Jim Crow. In truth, Critical Race Theory is a 50-year-old academic move- ment begun by Civil Rights scholars and activists in the U.S.A., who sought “to critically examine law as it intersects with issues of race, and to challenge mainstream liberal ap- proaches to social justice...and to examine social, cultural and legal issues as they relate to race and racism.”
Therefore, banning CRT is simply another example of dog whistling... another way of saying we don’t want you teaching students about issues that caused redlining in Black neigh- borhoods, established single family zoning that prevents the building of affordable housing in majority white neighbor- hoods, practice disparities in jail sentencing and plea bar- gaining, caused discrimination in hiring for jobs, concentrated Blacks in low paying jobs, and a host of other institutional barriers that impede the socialization, wealth building and economic growth of Blacks in this country.
Banning CRT is also an attack on teaching diversity/inclu- sion/race relations and is blamed for advocating “discrimi- nation against white people in order to achieve equity, Black Lives Matter protests, LGBTQ clubs in schools, diversity training by government organizations and even school shoot- ings.”
Without teaching CRT, America can then deny that racism exists in America. In other words, CRT is being accused of everything, except the common cold. Such accusations are obviously an attempt to distract American citizens from the Democratic tradition. Indeed, banning CRT is another ex- ample of dog whistling at its worse. But beware, this dog has rabies.
Firemen Battle Residential Fire In Sulphur Springs
Members of the Tampa Fire Department battled a house fire in Sulphur Springs Monday afternoon. The fire was reported around 4:45 p.m.
When firemen arrived at the home, it had heavy smoke and flames coming from the carport area on the east side of the single-story masonry residential structure. Firemen immediately began to fight the flames and bring the fire under control.
They also searched to make sure no one was inside the home. Everyone had esca- ped and there were no injuries reported.
Two adults and two chil- dren safely escaped the home along with a dog. A second dog and two birds perished in the fire.
This home in the 700 block of E. Humphrey Street caught fire Monday afternoon.
Firemen were able to get the fire under control by 5:30 p.m. The home suffered severe damage. The American Red Cross was notified to pro- vide assistance to the resi- dents of the home.
An investigator from the fire marshal's office respon- ded to the scene to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The fire does not appear suspicious. The investigation is continuing.
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