ofthisandthat Weekly Letter to President Obama |
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Copyright © 2010
ofthisandthat.org. All rights
reserved.
ofthisandthat.org. All rights
reserved.
| Questions and Comments backfire@ofthisandthat.org |
INAUGURATION, January 20, 2009
Drunk in its stale air
For two hundred years.
Fettered in mind and body,
The soul, the safe escape
To let me breathe the cries
Of my heart singing
Tears of mel-an-choly.
Drunk in its stale air
For two hundred years.
Fettered in mind and body,
The soul, the safe escape
To let me breathe the cries
Of my heart singing
Tears of mel-an-choly.
The tears flow free today
Washing the stains of blood
And sweat in brotherhood.
Raise the curtain then an'
Let the world look in
On this promised land --
We breathe free today.... almost.
--- Arshad M. Khan
We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
--- Native American proverb
--- Native American proverb
October 4, 2013
Mr. President: An unarmed woman driver with a toddler in the back seat, was shot
and killed by the police yesterday. Her crime: She hit a White House protective
barrier was confronted by four armed, gun-waving security personnel, who could
clearly see inside the car, as she reversed then sped away chased by police cars.
Two miles later, there was another confrontation when she was shot dead.
It now appears the woman was suffering from post-partum depression, had recently
been fired from her job, and seemed to have vented her anger at your fence. For
that she paid with her life. And no one, no one in the mainstream media is
questioning the actions of the police. In this age of terror, the populace accepts the
killing of a woman, whose only crime was nudging a perimeter fence, and an attempt
to escape gun-toting, screaming security personnel.
The police spokesman soon after described an assailant firing "potential shots" and
an injured policeman. Apparently, "potential shots" come from a "potentially armed"
citizen. The ludicrous "potential shots" from an unarmed black woman belie the
common police claim "to serve and protect." Frequent and numerous shootings (136
in 2012 according to the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement) of unarmed black citizens
include Trayvon Martin by a vigilante, who the police declined to charge until civic
pressure forced their hand. If not a black President, who can address the issue of
more than two unarmed black citizens losing their lives each week to unnecessary
force, including the one yesterday stemming from an incident at the President's own
front gate.
Yes, the police have a difficult job, but an independent inquiry into police response
methods and training would be to everyone's advantage. Unless absolutely
necessary, bringing down suspects in a hail of bullets endangers bystanders and
does much harm and little good. In this case it has left an orphaned child.
Mr. President: An unarmed woman driver with a toddler in the back seat, was shot
and killed by the police yesterday. Her crime: She hit a White House protective
barrier was confronted by four armed, gun-waving security personnel, who could
clearly see inside the car, as she reversed then sped away chased by police cars.
Two miles later, there was another confrontation when she was shot dead.
It now appears the woman was suffering from post-partum depression, had recently
been fired from her job, and seemed to have vented her anger at your fence. For
that she paid with her life. And no one, no one in the mainstream media is
questioning the actions of the police. In this age of terror, the populace accepts the
killing of a woman, whose only crime was nudging a perimeter fence, and an attempt
to escape gun-toting, screaming security personnel.
The police spokesman soon after described an assailant firing "potential shots" and
an injured policeman. Apparently, "potential shots" come from a "potentially armed"
citizen. The ludicrous "potential shots" from an unarmed black woman belie the
common police claim "to serve and protect." Frequent and numerous shootings (136
in 2012 according to the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement) of unarmed black citizens
include Trayvon Martin by a vigilante, who the police declined to charge until civic
pressure forced their hand. If not a black President, who can address the issue of
more than two unarmed black citizens losing their lives each week to unnecessary
force, including the one yesterday stemming from an incident at the President's own
front gate.
Yes, the police have a difficult job, but an independent inquiry into police response
methods and training would be to everyone's advantage. Unless absolutely
necessary, bringing down suspects in a hail of bullets endangers bystanders and
does much harm and little good. In this case it has left an orphaned child.