Rage

"To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost, almost all of the time..."

James Baldwin said this in 1961 and 59 years years later that rage burns brighter than an Olympic flame. On September 23rd Attorney General of Kentucky Daniel Cameron and his grand jury decided that in the death of Breonna Taylor only charges of "wanton endangerment" because some of his bullets fired at Taylor and her boyfriend went into the adjoining apartment. To give some context, a class d felony includes such crimes as unauthorized use of a credit card and stalking. I just...I don't have the words. 

Louisville police from the get go, were operating on the shakiest of grounds. Apparently while investigating an ex-boyfriend, they believed her to be a part of a drug ring. Never mind the fact that she had no history with drugs. Ignoring that she was one of the first responders during a pandemic that people claimed they loved and respected so much. Never mind that the ex-boyfriend and focus of the investigation was in jail, they made the decision to bust in rocking plain clothes and got surprised someone shot at them. A man protecting himself and his girlfriend with his legal firearm, that's what 2nd amendment folks are always screaming about right? Well their silence is deafening and we all know why. 

I've seen so many excuse, just looking to blame a black woman for her own death it's disgusting. Let's just say for a moment, that everything being alleged is true. Does this make her worthy of death? From the constant changing of the narrative by Louisville PD to the convenient non use of body cams, their word is quite shit. They can't be believed. Hell, the ex boyfriend who is the drug dealer has since become a more credible source than the police at this point. When he was offered a deal to say she was involved and he rejected it, when it was to his benefit to do so, said all I needed to see. And if this was the shady den of a drug mistress, why was her family awarded 12 million dollars in a wrongful death suit. Are you telling me some wrongdoing caused her death but no one can be punished for said wrong doing?

I'm filled with rage, righteously so in my opinion, as the Attorney General stands up there with disingenuous tears welling in his eyes. Speaking how he feels the pain, and about his experiences as a black man which came across as hollow as he ignored those feelings of pain if they were ever there. He firmly planted himself at feet of Mitch McConnell and sold his soul for the opportunity to be Mitch's go to guy.  The lacky for a turtle faced hypocrite hellbent on being the ultimate power broker in American politics. 

I struggle with finding optimism some days, but that state of rage that Baldwin spoke of all those years ago is never ending.