"The three New York City police officers, who fatally shot 23 year-old Sean Bell on his wedding day with 50 bullets, were cleared of all charges today (April 25) in Queens Supreme Court."link to article
To me it isn't a surprise with this verdict, but it is still hits me. If a cops could get away with this then the sky is the limit for other things they can do. Here the clip from 106 with Nas
click continue reading for more videos
4 comments:
I have been thinking about this A LOT because I feel f***ed up about it but feel sorta helpless in terms of what I can do. I got an anonymous text last night about wearing all black today so I'm doing that. I passed it on to people as well. I'm glad PTM addressed it because I think it has a lot to do with hip hop.
I think with the influence hip hop has in this country right now this is one of those times when emcees need to get in the booth and talk about the injustices that are taking place. They need to talk about what's going on with our young men and the police, and our young men with each other, as well as our young men and women in terms of the way they interact with each other. Hip hop has a voice that people like me, the ones who feel helpless and unheard, don't have. Hip hop has the power to speak for the masses and I hope it does.
I hope the Nas, and 50s and Jay-Zs take the infulence they have and do more than talk about rivalries, their past, cars and the club. They need to address OUR future and the changes that need to be made--ESPECIALLY in light of this upcoming election which is possibly one of the most interesting we've had in the history of this country.
I sincerely hope that people don't take this as a simple case of black versus white. I think that the unfortunate reality is that it's more a case of black and brown versus blue. This case represents the divide between the Police and the public it is employed to protect. That 51 shot were fired was bad enough, that 31 of those shot came from one man is unacceptable. If it isn't manslaughter, as the charges against Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora were, it was at the very least, excessive force. Too many cops are too anxious to use their service weapons. Detectives Isnora and Oliver are not rookies. Were they trained properly, I have no doubt that they would have found a way to neutralize the situation without deadly force i.e. shooting out the tires, sending a warning shot, etc. Coming out of a club, on the night before you are to be married, it's understandable that those you're addressing may not hear you. To fire the equivalent of approximately 3 full clips (of a glock) is grossly misguided and these men should be stripped of all of their privelages as police officers, including pensions and bonuses.
The men should have been found guilty of something. What they did to that man was a disgusting lapse in judgment and as an officer of the law, there is no room for that. Here's hoping that Ray Kelly (Police Commisioner) and Attorney General Michael Mukasey can figure something out. I hope we are writing letters or something to make sure we show out allegiance and solidarity in this matter. Present the facts and not just blind emotion. We need to show that we are not just upset and spewing forth rage, but we have been disappointed far too often and it's time to show we can put forth a strong front to push for a change that never seems to come soon enough...
Nas' reaction to the 4th New York murder of an un-armed black man was perfect.
I appreciate the fact that he is reaching out to other members of the hip hop community. Nas also made a good reference to the fact that the younger generation is removed from the older generation and that the older generation also comes down on the younger gen rather than helping them and showing them the way. That statement means a lot because it is the root of why we continue to kill each other and allow others to kill us also.
I love the new generation of hip hop. The only thing that messes everything up is the ignorance level. Our young black brothers and sisters in the industry are doing great! What about our young brothers and sisters in the inner city though? They are soaking up all of this "big business" music and losing the real essence of what hip hop music is all about and why it started.
As for Sean Bell, my heart goes out to his family also but I am not suprised by what happened. Like Nas said, people need to really do something (I don't know what that something is yet. btw) in order to reverse what's going on in this country if they REALLY care. If not, there is no reason to be shocked or upset...
Dot, well said homie, i agree 100%, there is a disconnect between generations and a lack of responsibility on all sides, something's gotta change...
Post a Comment