(ThyBlackMan.com) I admit the death of Joe McKnight Jr has me angry on multiple levels. I grew up understanding Jefferson Parish (right outside New Orleans) has not legally safe for blacks. The people have a right to be angry as it feels like another death of a black person in this country won’t be handled correctly. Authorities claimed the murderer was released because they didn’t want to make a “rush to judgement”. They claim they want to be sure the case is handled correctly. The problem is simple this logic would be ok, I guess, if it applied equally to all. However, we know this is not the case.
Our people get laid out in the street because there is a rush to judgement. Protocol is often not followed because there is a rush to judgement. We know the system is not equal, and we know all 
manners of excuses are given when its time for the system to stand with us or protect us. It’s no just that a white man murdered Joe McKnight Jr in a road rage incident…it’s the lack of compassion and regard shown by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. This leads me to look at the state of blacks nationally.
The truth is there is always a rush to judgement against us and it’s been known to kill. There are many in this country that want us to feel that movement, protest and anger are unnecessary. We are led to believe we aren’t the only people in this country that suffer injustice so it’s not about race. The truth is isn’t not just about the death of one black man that has everyone angry…its not that he played in the NFL. The problem is he is just one of many…the problem is he won’t be the last. There problem is knowing the history of some law enforcement offices means we know our chances of receiving justice.
It seems we will have to find more innovative ways to protest, and effect change in our community because too many black people are convinced their life, and the life of their children is not important. I can’t believe that America is as oblivious as they’d like us to believe. The insulting of our intelligence as a people is infuriating! We must find ways to explain a man being unarmed and shot in cold blood, and then the gunman being released…we must explain this to our children. We must try to explain to our children that they are important now, and when they become adults they will still be important. We must explain to them that no one has the right to just shoot them dead.
Its not just the death of one man….we are tired of burying our men, women and young. Its time we face ourselves and decide we will take back our community. This means addressing violence in the community while fighting against violence outside the community. We must do all we can to preserve our life, and that of our children. Since the election overt racism is on the rise…we must prepare. It will take more than outrage, and anger to get us through this.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.
