YOU JUST HEARD IT

The Mayor of NY city who has an African American wife and children had stated that he worried about his children when they left home. America is just like any third world country and has no moral authority to talk down. My friends in USA live under the false belief that they are safe only until their lives are affected.

The black community feels marginalized. A life s lost because a black man tried to rob the Federal Government of a few cents. A choke hold that took the life away of a father, son and husband, and a grand father at age 43, who did commit a crime but the choke hold was found to be against a law passed by the NY State Assembly which didn't matter. The Grand Jury -for those who don't know- the State Prosecutor convenes a grand jury to take up the case or not- 9/12 or 12/23 jurors will let the prosecutor take up the case. It is not done on every case unless the Prosecutor is in doubt or if it attracts National Attention. The Prosecutor needs the police to work with him and hence there is an underlying bias- The Prosecutor decided not to indict the Police Officer as he didn't have the guts to take upon himself and called for a grand jury so that he could manipulate and get a verdict favorable to the Police and thereby strengthen his relationship.

This is not the first time the decision not to indict a police officer happened. A lawyer on MSNBC who had represented Police Officers in her career was proud to inform that not getting indicted was the norm. All that the grand jury needed was a probable cause. It is not a preponderance of evidence that you need in a criminal case. Still there were less than 9/13 or 12/23 jurors to give a verdict not to indict the Police Officer. The grand jury only gives the approval for the prosecutor to take up the case. But if the prosecutor did not specify that he was planning to take up the case, the jury gets the opinion that the prosecutor was not interested. The jury starts to get the feeling that the police can do no wrong.

The video was shot by a member of the public entirely. The entire incident lasted a minute and the death occurred within a few minutes. Eleven times he says that he cannot breath. He puts his hands up before he gets choked. He did not try to fight the cops. I saw the video a million times. He is surrounded by five cops at least. He is put on a choke hold and taken down. Not a single officer tells the cop to release his hold. He dies on the pavement for committing a crime, selling a cigarette for which the tax was not paid.

Mr. Garner (The deceased) did something that was wrong. He didn't fight with the police or threaten anyone in public. He tried to make a fast buck that is a misdemeanor offense(the lowest of all crimes). But his life was taken away because a NYPD Officer decided to take matters in his own hand and become the judge and jury and even God.

I want every citizen of any race or color to speak up. You won't be the first or last. But your voice matters. Say something. Speak up. Don't wait for the experience. You won't be able to handle it.