Quote of the Day

Let me tell you: The facts are out. In Minneapolis, black people are almost nine times more likely to be arrested for minor offenses than white people. Black youth are almost six times more likely than their white peers to be arrested for low-level crimes. Black people consistently report bias in how they are treated by police, and the numbers support this. Tonight, as I write this, we observe the first anniversary of the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year old boy with a toy gun who was shot and killed by police outside of his Cleveland recreation center. This happens again and again and we tell people of color to wait, to be patient with the investigation. To place their trust in a system that is failing them. Imprisoning them. Killing them.

As a white person, I won’t speak for people of color, I can only speak for myself. But I listen to people of color, and I believe them when they say that these are their experiences. As soon as Jamar Clark was shot, the reports of the bystanders who watched it happen were discounted and discredited, and I have to ask why. When the president of the police union calls for witnesses to be silenced, I am left to wonder, Who is he protecting? When we tell people of color to trust the system, we ignore their lived experiences. It’s insulting. We need to stop.

– Carin Mrotz
Excerpted from "The World is on Fire:
Standing in Solidarity with #Justice4Jamar"
TCJewFolk.com
November 23, 2015

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• "We Are All One" – #Justice4Jamar and the 4th Precinct Occupation: Photos, Reflections and Links
• Rallying in Solidarity with Eric Garner and Other Victims of Police Brutality
• Quote of the Day – June 19, 2015
• "Say Her Name" Solidarity Action for Sandra Bland
• In Minneapolis, Rallying in Solidarity with Black Lives in Baltimore

Related Off-site Links:
To Be Black is to Never, Ever Feel Safe – Lilly Workneh (HuffPost Black Voices, November 24, 2015).
The Powder Keg – Charles P. Pierce (Esquire, November 24,2015).
Fox News Asked a Chicago Protester About Black-on-Black Crime. His Response Was Perfect – German Lopez (Vox, November 25, 2015).
"Unless Black Lives Matter, All Lives Can't Matter" Says NAACP Head – Bill Sorem and Michael McIntee (The Uptake, November 22, 2015).