Heed the cries

Black people throughout history have always chronicled their causes with symbolic cries to express heartfelt agony resulting from America’s deliberate acts of discrimination. It was through songs that James Brown taught blacks to love their blackness, curly hair, broad noses and thick lips. Yes, he said it first, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud!”

The battle cry during the Civil Rights era was, “We shall overcome.” No other race in America has suffered more hatred, bigotry, lynchings, imprisonments and discrimination than blacks.

Sadly, the 21st century hasn’t gotten much better. Police shootings go unpunished; the scales of justice for blacks are tilted against them, but for whites, justice remains a privilege.

Once again, blacks must cry out in unison to express fears and pains. Yes, they wail loudly, “Hear us America; don’t shoot, our hands are up; Black Lives Matter.” Notable commentators, on Fox Cable News, castigate such utterances as symbolizing anarchy. Whites need not say their lives matter.

How can white America not recognize that blacks will not forever stand down and not fight back? Also, is it not just as hideous to shoot in the back an unarmed black man who is running away, or sitting in his car, or pinned to the ground as it is to ambush police officers?

Law-enforcement officers should never be killed nor should they indiscriminately kill blacks and go unpunished.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 10:56 PM with the headline "Heed the cries."