Monday, December 5, 2016

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD DIE OF THIRST IN AN AMERICAN JAIL?

NO?
I DIDN'T EITHER


"Authorities have ruled the death of an inmate at a jail run by [David Clarke] a top law enforcement supporter of GOP nominee Donald Trump a homicide caused by “profound dehydration.” 
Terrill Thomas, 38, was found dead in a Milwaukee County Jail cell on April 24, nine days after being arrested in connection with a shooting. Other inmates heard Thomas beg for water in the days before he died, the Journal Sentinel reported in July. "
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-clarke-jail-death-terrill-thomas_us_57e03580e4b04a1497b5f12e? 



Internalized anti-black racism may be the least of Clarke's problems if four people, including a baby, have died in a jail he's responsible for. But this blog is centered on race. So let's focus on the internalized racism one almost has to be suffering from in order to be an avid supporter of Donald Trump. 

* * * * * 




After a internalized racism sufferer has cross a certain line, you have to admit they are lost, possibly for good.  

When you accept that a person is lost, possibly for good, that's when you can start feeling good about removing someone who looks like one of your own from power. We should see David Clarke's face with our eyes and have an image of a man in a KKK hood pop up in our minds; the connection should be automatic

People of color (POCs) that live in Clarke's immediate area should be do whatever organizing and voting is necessary to make sure this man isn't in charge of an outhouse. I know it's unlikely in this political atmosphere, but  if Clarke could be taken to court, convicted, held  personally responsible, and put in jail that would be even better.

A lot of people misuse the idea that "Everybody is entitled to their own opinion." Siding with Trump,  a racist, misogynistic, homophobic, islamophobe cannot be considered siding with a different opinion because racism,  misogyny, homophobia, and islamophobia are not simply opinions. They are fear induced or selfishness induced ignorance, often based on hate, that are used to literally destroy other people.


Upwards of 53% of white women and 63% of white men like to forget that their ethnoracism, misogyny, homophobia, anti-semitism, and islamophobia hasn't killed people. But those of us who have relatives who died before we could meet them --due to white -isms and white phobias can't forget. 

Some white people think this is just a game of I-think-republicans-are-good versus I-think-democrats-are-good when black and brown people who actually  think from time to time know that neither party is good -- but the democrats usually do a lot less harm per political cycle when they are in charge.

The republican party has been built on white fear and inciting white violence for decades. And most people of color (POCs) recognize this. 

A willful denial of white violence is what POC internalized racism sufferers and white racists have in common. That's
why I believe that POC internalized racism sufferers and POC internalized racism enablers belong in the same category of threat as white racists and white racism enablers.  

While Clarke's authoritarian attitude (which has roots in white supremacy in this particular country) may be responsible for the deaths of people under his watch, he is not alone in giving black and brown credibility to Trump.

Kanye, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, and other black republicans may not be directly, indirectly, or any way linked to the deaths of the helpless like Clarke appears to be. But they are supportive of the same ideals as Clarke. They did vote for or would have voted for Donald Trump.

In my opinion we should remove their public voice, remove their ability to influence people of color, especially our young, by putting them in jail if we can (in Clarke's case) or removing him from office (if local political groups can in Clarke's case) and refusing to spend our money on anything Kanye and Dwayne Johnson is in.

It's way past time we stop letting white people choose black stars for us anyway.

No comments:

Post a Comment