The michael brown case is one; and why it will keep happening?

Michael Brown, one of many black men shot down in the streets unarmed. There is an epidemic in the US, and there is a backlash to a changing America. This scenario will continue because of the inherent racism in this nation; the stereotypes that are perpuated from both sides of the aisle. The self segregation of our neighborhoods and the lack of understanding and empathy of realizing that all people regardless of race and social class have value in this society.




Until these issues are addressed we will continue to see unarmed black men shot in the street. Racism is a cancer destroying our nation rooted deep in the recess of slavery. One race of people owned another race of people for over 300 years in the Americas.




The years of reconstruction and Jim Crowe laws allowed African Americans to be discriminated and be treated less than human in the South and mid west. The civil rights era of the 1960s granted protections from the federal government to regions of the country to end segregation, to vote and end discrimination. Although, the federal government has created protections and programs to aid minority communities; it hasn't eliminated the problems that still exist in America. Racism can't be eradicated with a government program; only through people realizing that racism is wrong, unfair, unjust and unwarranted, that society will change; as the laws will reflect in its changes. The first step towards ending racism is to stop self segregating our selves into distinct neighborhoods; this creates an educational system where your zipcode determines the quality of your education and keeps us from really knowing each other. The only cure for the ignorance of racism is knowledge of a neighbor's culture and that applies equally to both parties.




Stop stereotyping different ethnic groups; everyone stereo types each other whether we realize it or not. People don't think they are racist until something happens. American society is afraid of blacks and hispanics that are deemed as gang members or thugs; simply due to their clothes. There is a lack of understanding of each other because we fail to put each other in each other's shoes; no real connection unless at work or at school. For the most part do not live in the same communities, and don't really care to reach out to different communities; only choose to judge each other. When someone thinks they are better than another, there is no humanizing or empathizing with them; that is what has to change.




As Americans we have deep wounds in this country that are still open and haven't been cured. There are deep societal inequalities that have negatively affected minorities, who play by the rules and can't seem to go further in their career. There is a sense of hopelessness and despair since the deep divisions of this nation have been exposed openly. For years these issues would rise due to the media coverage after the death of an unarmed black teen; then later media leaves; and nothing ever changes. The justice system does not work for everyone in America and that is known;because the law is technical, prosecutors are ambitious, and the out come is reliant upon the best representation. With so many factors, Justice is not always just. The Trayvon Martin case is an example of miscarriage of justice because of an unarmed teen that had skittles and ice tea was followed by his murderer. The only witness to the event was the murderer himself and that was good enough for a jury of mainly white woman to decide that he was justified in killing this teen. During the trial, Martin was placed on trial even though he was the victim; since the acquittal of Zimmerman, this man has shown his instability being stopped by the police numerous times and being let go. This shows that Zimmerman had an understanding of the justice system and knew how to get out of situations using the law.




When there is a clear misjustice in the system, people lose trust, and convince themselves that it is not designed for everybody, only for whites, the rich and the corrupt. In the 1990's the OJ trial showed deep divisions, in my personal opinion; OJ got away with murder by having the best attorneys to represent him. The timelessness of the same racial and social class issues in our Justice system continue despite all of the past killings. Nothing changes after all of the talks, the protests and the ideas.





We never see a white boy being shot in the streets because we don't see them as a threat. Society sees hoodies, pants hanging down, caps turned on a side or face bandanas as threatening and criminal. Especially, if black or hispanic in an urban area; and these communities know it. They have to live with it, and in hopes that they won't encounter that next scared police officer or a Zimmerman second amendment gun totting wannabe police type.




About two months ago, an elderly white rancher in Nevada named Bundy and many extreme right wing militia supporters pointed assault weapons at federal agents attempting to confiscate cattle because of millions of dollars of unpaid cattle grazing fees. This man and his supporters pointed assault weapons at these federal officers even sniper weapons, and not one of them were arrested. In fact til this day, no one has faced charges, nor have they have been arrested for pointing those weapons at those agents. These people at the ranch were white men expressing their second amendment right; but if some black or hispanic did the very same thing as Bundy and his supporters, you can guarantee there would have been a massacre by the federal agents. There is no way that a minority would have been able to point an assault weapon and a sniper rifle at these agents and not be dead today; and the troubling fact is that as minorities WE KNOW THAT. Those societal injustices, the norms that Americans accept; is how black man are seen through a prism of not being regarded as valued people. That is why Michael Brown is one case and why this will continue to happen in America?