Thursday, January 8, 2009

Oscar Grant was Murdered by a BART Police Officer



Oscar Grant was murdered by a police officer on New Year's Day. Read it aloud, and do not use a "euphemism" such as: killed, shot, or an accidental victim of gun discharge. Say it with emphasis one more time, "Oscar Grant was murdered by a police officer on New Year's Day."

In the age of Obama, the more things change, more they stay the same.

I wonder how many excuses the Right Wing police fanboys and knee jerk reactionaries will make to explain the logic behind shooting a person who has surrendered and is already subdued.

Maybe it was magic? Perhaps, young black men have a special gene or mutant power that makes guns spontaneously activate and shoot them...some sort of suicide by cop evolutionary adaptation.

Sad, very sad.

Let's see how Fox News and the others spin this one. And let's see how fast this murderous cop, who has already resigned, has his trial moved to the suburbs, and a narrative is inevitably generated where the BART killer is valorized as some type of "victim."

Again, sad, so very very sad.

Random and final thought: I do hope the Grant family gets a better attorney--one who understands that it is not proper form to appear on television while wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Moreover, and that it is doubly inappropriate while wearing said attire to discuss the murder of a client.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Shameful, horrible that such a thing can still occur in the USA.

I would certainly agree this was at least MURDER, or maybe even EXECUTION.

This is too awful for words. I wish I were near Oakland to join the protests.

Cindy said...

I wish you were closer to Oakland too...then you would maybe be a little further away from Texas!

Zora said...

Born and bred in Oakland, all I can say is "The more things change, the more they stay the same." We have a long way to go before we can say that we are in a new America.

Anonymous said...

I hope you all realize this murderer does not represent all white people. We are outraged and saddened and our thoughts and prayers go out to Oscars family.

Thank god for video and witnesses. I think Oscars family should sue for more than 25 million.

Anonymous said...

This murder of Oscar grant is senseless. The officer had no right to shoot him as he was already on the ground. But what this blogger of Respectable Negro's is doing is blaming conservative folks. Has he forgotten that blacks are mostly conservative and religious. What race was the deciding factor in the Gay marriage debate in California? It was not right wing whites. But he/she wants to blame Fox news before they had a chance to say anything. Maybe he/she can go to MSNBC to get their news. (oops I forgot they only post biased news supporting crazy people like this cop who they will say needs psychological help). But Fox news already has said this cop needs to be tried and convicted they just disagree with violent demonstrations. Unless the blogger is telling me he agrees with being violent which never got any Negroes anywhere then he needs to support Fox News and stop going against a news channel that gives news and not fairytales like every other channel. Wake up and stop blaming conservatives for the ills of the world when it is liberals who are running it. By the way I am black and like Obama but not idiots who always blame everyone else besides themselves.

chaunceydevega said...

@Anonymous. No, it doesn't represent all White people. But police authority has consistently been used by a racist State to harass, control, and violate the rights of people of color. Thus, the great deal of research which shows a great divide among communities in their perceptions and experiences with police and a very corrupt criminal "justice" system.

@Jacob, glad you posted. Fox News the "truth" lord I hope you are kidding. You should read the Manufacturing of Consent by Noam Chomsky and then watch the documentary OutFoxed, and top it off with the book What Liberal Media? I also suggest you get a drink or three to help you digest these materials as you may have a fit.

On Prop 8, the jury is still out on that, Te-Nehitsi Coates from the Atlantic has done a few posts on that issue you should check out.

Liberals rule the world? Which one? As conservatives in their 30 plus years of rule in the U.S. have run this country into the ground (economically and politically?), have they not?

Chauncey DeVega

Spinster said...

Same shit, different day. So much for post-racial America.

May his family at least get some money, if not full justice (because that seems too much to ask for).

Anonymous said...

Bill Mayer said it best America "stop saying that we've overcome racism just because we've found a qualified black man and elected him president. Everybody knows we won't have true equality until we elect a dumb, unqualified black man." I think that quote is hilarious but the sad part is that it's REALLY true.