vs. The Community

On Sunday, December 15, an 11 year-old girl was physically assaulted by a 16 year-old boy in a working class North Richmond, Virginia neighborhood.  When the mother of the girl notified the police about the incident immediately after, she was told there was "nothing they could do" and they did not send an officer.  Only after several adults from both families confronted each other did the Richmond Police Department respond...and they did twice..with a different pair of officers each time.  Through all this, no one was arrested, including the boy that started it all.  During the second and final visit, one of the officers inquired as to why this conflict hadn't been resolved.  The father of the 11 year-old girl responded to the cop, "if the first policeman would've done something, we wouldn't even be here.  But this 16 year-old smacks my 11 year-old daughter and y'all don't do nothing.  What am I supposed to do?"

I only know about this situation because I personally know both parties involved.  You only know about this situation because you're reading this.  Outside of that, you'll probably never hear about this or the other dozen or so incidents that the police don't deem important enough.  I even checked a couple sources...official and unofficial...to see if this incident was even documented.  It wasn't, and here's problem.  FACT: Your child can be assaulted by an older child in the city of Richmond, and it will not get reported until the adults squabble over it.  This puts an entire new spin on the mistrust of the police, it raises concern and understanding on why situations like Trayvon Martin and Renisha McBride go mishandled by authorities, and it speaks to the desperate need for community unification.

This isn't a 1988 Ice Cube screaming F[word] the Police.  This is a 2013 Terrance Jones saying Care for the Community.  And understand that this statement isn't a racial thing; because it's not about race...honestly, on a macro level it never was.  It's about wealth, it's about power, it's about class.  To that end, please know that the militaristic resources that are in place are not there to protect you.  They are there to protect the people that  control how they get paid.  Therefore, it's long overdue to take matters into our own hands.  Now how does this look?  Well...for example; we must stop relying on a school system to totally educate our children.  No school system in the U.S. can possibly equip a child with all he or she needs to be an adult.  This may mean some of us need to brush up on our own studies...but it needs to be done for the sake of those we are tasked with raising.  Also, we must cease filling our heads with the false images that VH1, Oxygen, and other networks promote.  It all seems harmless to watch 30-somethings call themselves female dogs...until your daughter calls you one.  And lastly, self-defense should not be limited to violence (which supports imprisonment); but it should include sound communication, control, and respect.  Friends, these items prevent all of us being taken advantage of.  They build character in a society that is losing character by the day.  They teach how to fight effectively instead of fighting pointless.  They allow us to not react to trouble, but to operate in resolution.  Believe it or not, the existence of democracy and justice depend on it.  For the next child that gets assaulted or killed could be yours.  And at the end of all of that, all you can do is look in the mirror to ask, what more could I have done?

It takes not just one voice or one family...or even one community, but it takes us all...to protect and love each other.  Because frankly, the system does not care.  Now, this is not to say that ALL police officers are incapable of helping.  But it is to say that not ALL police officers are concerned with helping you.

Peace





.