After the George Floyd incident in Minnesota I stayed fairly quiet. This was within a week of the Ahmaud Arbery video being released. In both cases the media found reason to blame the victims. Floyd was said to have a violent history and drug use. Arbery was on video looking at a construction site. Neither cases are deserving of the death penalty. So after this and the death of Breonna Taylor a woman shot and killed in her home during a raid or as they call it a “no knock search warrant” for drugs that were never found in the residence. Another case was Christian Cooper in Central Park New York. He told a woman she’s supposed to have her dog on a leash. The woman in turn called the cops and said she was being threaten by a black man. He videoed the exchange but what this woman did was a death threat by proxy. This is why “Black Lives Matter” is in the news again.

When protesters say “Black Lives Matter” righwing pundits spin this as meaning only black lives matter and being racist. What it really means is the black lives also matter. Often we seen on the news white spree shooters carried away in handcuffs. We hear about school shooting victims as a major tragedy in middle America. Which it is, however the tragedies in the inner city for decades have been reported matter a factually. When I see George Floyd or Eric Garner I think how would the media react to a white collar criminally with a suit and tie maybe Bernie Madoff gasping, “I can’t breathe”. They would likely say the police have gone too far.

In all honesty I like cops. In my line of work I deal with them daily and we have a good relationship. They get drunk drivers off the road, talk jumpers off bridges and see some heinous shit. I respect good cops. The problem is when good cops enable bad cops by doing nothing and the culture that punishes those that call out their bad cop brothers. There needs to be an evolution from what we have. I don’t have any answers but I know what we have now isn’t working.

Do cop lives matter?

Simply put yes. Just as much as anyone else. On a side note, when I went skydiving I was told there was a chance I could die in a stern video before signing a waiver. That’s what cops do when they sign up. They are on the front line in the line of fire. I’ve heard there’s a mantra “Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six” which basically means its better to mistaking kill someone and be judged in court than be carried by six pall bearers for inaction. This is a dangerous mentality and the policeman’s union backs it up saying their top priority is that they go home to their family at the end of the day. Ideally I want cops to go home at the end of the day but I do not want them taking a chance killing someone because their brother and sisters in arms have their back.

The funny thing I see about the whole “cop lives matter” slogan is not one Republican said it when the Zadroga Bill and the 9-11 first responders bill was being pushed for the heroes of September eleventh that stayed behind risking their lives for others and develop cancer from exposure to chemical inhalation. In fact two Kentucky senators stood in the way while yearly reminding us “never forget” without seeing irony.

All Lives Matter?

This is my favorite though. Someone says “Black Lives Matter” then someone else says, “No All Lives Matter.” Okay let’s go with that premise. I like to believe all lives matter but I read history and I watch the news. Okay I used to watch the news. Under our current system people are dying from lack of health insurance because they ration their insulin. Did their lives matter? How bout the people in Yemen undergoing what the UN calls a genocide from Saudi Arabia do their lives matter? And when the next time a president either Red team or Blue decides to go to wars are the “All Lives Matter” people going to come to the anti war protest? All Lives Matter pardon the pun, has been just a cop out to avoid the issue being expressed.

I will close with this. Let’s make All Lives Matter. I mean everyone. Socialize healthcare so everyone can see a doctor without fear of more debt. End the war of drugs and treat the individuals. Don’t support genocides or wars based on false pretenses. Feed the homeless and get help to those that are suicidal. Also let’s make sure no one is killed because of a bad check or selling “loosies” by cops ever again because those lives mattered!