The Way Some of Us Are<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Carver\u2019s knife found shut, said The Times.
\nNo exclamation necessary.
\nA period is all there is.
\nNo one knows how not surprised
\nmany folks are.
\nA human being shot, killed another human
\nbeing.
\nThat\u2019s the truth, the fact.
\nThat one human being is white and the other a
\nNative American is a fact and often a
\nproblem.
\nThe former is a policeman; the latter a carver.
\nToo often that is a problem.
\nI submit that if both had looked at each other as
\nhuman beings there would\u2019ve been no
\nkilling.
\nI submit that the white policeman saw red long
\nbefore he saw human being.
\nI submit that many policemen often see a color
\nbefore they see a person.
\nI submit much of the policeman\u2019s culture says
\nbeware of people of color, the darker they,
\nthe more careful you.
\nI submit the policeman believed he was in
\ndanger though he with his gun was
\nnot close enough to see a closed knife.<\/p>\n
And I submit, diminished mental state
\nnotwithstanding, Mr. Williams knew much
\nof this and chose to risk being himself.<\/p>\n
No doubt there is sorrow; there should be.
\nBut absolutely no amount of sorrow nor
\nanything else, nothing will bring back Mr.
\nJohn T. Williams.<\/p>\n
Of course, policemen do not want to be killed.
\nOf course, they must protect themselves.
\nBut as long as they serve a populace they fear,
\nwe can count on too many of them
\nstomping, beating, and shooting, killing
\ntoo\u2014acting and then asking questions.
\nThe cold-blooded killings of their comrades
\ndoubtlessly makes them more guarded.
\nUntil policemen know more of the folks they are
\nguarding we can expect them to feel justified
\nin their actions despite being deadly wrong.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Georgia Stewart McDade, a Louisiana native who\u2019s lived in Seattle more than half her life, loves reading and writing. Most of her career was spent teaching. The African-American Writers\u2019 Alliance<\/a> member has been reading her stories and poetry in public since 1991. McDade conducts writing workshops usually emphasizing theorizing, organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing. Her works are in anthologies I Wonder as I Wander, Gifted Voices, Words? Words! Words,<\/em> and Threads<\/a>.<\/em> Travel Tips for Dream Trips, <\/em>questions and answers about her six-month, solo trip around the world and Outside the Cave<\/a>,<\/em> poetry, are major components of her portfolio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Way Some of Us Are Carver\u2019s knife found shut, said The Times. No exclamation necessary. A period is all there is. No one knows how not surprised many folks are. A human being shot, killed another human being. … Continue reading