As I look at the eulogy that was made by Rev. Al Sharpton for 7 year old Aiyana Jones, I can't help but to think of a young life that has been taken. I also think of the 17 year old Jerean Blake that was taken that lead to Aiyana's death, two young people whose lives were taken to soon. Two mother's who are in mourning, 2 graves that should not be, not at the young age and for violent crimes that are committed against us and by us.
Was it necessary for this death to have to be?
Two mother's who are in mourning, 2 graves that should not be, not at the young age and for violent crimes that are committed against us and by us.
In filming a reality show, Aiyana's life was taken, yes, it is so much easier to place the blame on the show and the police officer's, it is also time to look at what is going on in the family, parents and the communities, cities, states the whole USA. What is happening to our black youth? Why are so many dying so young? And when do we as parents, grandparents and other family members play in that role?
Sadly so many terrible things led to the death of both of these young people, police officer's being shot at and killed a week prior this horrific lost of lives. A city that has a high unemployment rate and foreclosures. When we look at ourselves again, we have to look at who do we have in our homes, who do we associate with, and what are we doing with our own lives that is impacting our children? Is there lessons that we all can learn from these two young people's lost of life and with the lessons that we can learn, are we willing to make the changes so that we do not continue to see lost of lives of young people all of the USA? Are we willing to keep people out of our homes that are involved in unlawful activity that will have police busting into our homes? Are we willing to check out what are children are doing and who they are associating with? Are we willing to be parents and not friends to our children?
After we see the news, read the papers hear talk of the lost young lives, we feel sad, we shake our heads and go on. Keep in mind that these children are some one's children, that it could of been our children and we have to do better for our children, because no one else is going to come along and save our kids for us, we have to do it each and everyone one of us has to take responsibility for what we allow in our homes, in our children's lives. Are you willing to stand up for your children or do you want to continue to mourn for the lost of lives of the young people with memorial stands of stuffed animals and flowers? It starts with each one of us to make the changes that we want to see happen.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100524/METRO/5240401/1361/Hundreds-of-mourners-say-goodbye-to-17-year-old-shooting-victim
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/05/mourners_take_to_facebook_to_r.html
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/chauncey-owens-arraigned-accused-of-killing-jerean-blake-20100520-ms
7 comments:
No Sis Antoinette, we don't look at US. Yes, the cops were at fault for over dramatizing for a television program, but the point is our children are dying. Two lives were taken, Two people took those lives, one an officer of the law another some joker on the street. No one is talking about the joker on the street who is now in custody who if he had not done what he did, there would have not been any police there in the first place. The consequences of HIS actions are what led to the death of the little girl. It was like a chain reaction. Now a 7 and 17 year old are dead, dead, dead. Now another young person is going to be locked up in jail. For what? Like you said, what is going on in these homes? What type of life did the shooter have? Why is a child asleep on a couch and not in her bed at that time of morning? These are the questions I ask. Peace
The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality is helping Aiyana’s family to respond to her violent and unnecessary death. They have shared with me that there are are a few things that can be done no matter where you are.
One is to donate to the Aiyana Stanley Jones fund at Fifth Third bank
{Phone: 1-800-972-3030 }.
The second at this point is to cut and paste this letter, drafted up by DCAPB, and email it to Attorney General Eric Holder, demanding an end to military tactics in our communities such as throwing grenades in the homes of sleeping children. You can call Holder’s office at 202-514-2001.
The email to send the letter to is AskDOJ@usdoj.gov.
Thanks in advance for your support!:
Dear Attorney General Holder,
The recent horrifying death of Aiyana Stanley Jones in Detroit at the hands of a paramilitary fugitive apprehension team of the Detroit Police Department has saddened, pained and angered many of us who work for peace in the city. The furtherance of this horror was reflected with the presence of the producers of A&E “First 48″ television program as they tagged along as an incendiary grenade was thrown into the home of a sleeping family that included children.
This uptick in violence by local police agencies has been fostered by money from various U.S. Justice Department programs. The life of 7-year-old Aiyana Jones was snuffed out as producers sought sensational video, and as Detroit Police Department officers charged the door, according to family members, in a quasi “no-knock” fashion.
Similar acts of military incursions are occuring throughout this country. We feel that this most recent death signals a needed change in policy to save the lives of citizens and law enforcement officers alike.
The Detroit Police Department has been under two Federal Consent decrees for “Use of Force” and “Issues of Confinement” since 2003, and they are still not in compliance.
Attorney General Holder, people throughout the world are watching. They want to know if you will make a bold effort for humanity and peace, or whether you will acquiesce in the face of this great human tragedy. We sincerely hope that you will act decisively to investigate this horrific tragedy.
Sincerely, (your name)
Anonymous, this was the best post yet in this incident that I have seen on the internet. And I will definitely followup with the letter to Holden. However, I am skeptical about donating to funds as I don't know what it is for or going to. Due to the circumstances, I am certain that it is not toward a legal fund or burial of this child, as both will be handled, trust me. So I will definitely send the letter for sure. Thanks for the template. I still say we are not really addressing the overall reality of what is happening in these communities that we live in and should have control over. The death of the 17 year old seems to be overlooked but he is DEAD as well. No letter is going out on his behalf, he is just another dead N***er, huh?
If the above noted email address is unsuccessful, try this one:
askdoj@usdoj.gov
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5 Ways to Channel Your Aiyana Outrage
By Jamilah King
You’ve ranted on Facebook. You’ve flamed on Twitter. What else can you do when cops shoot a 7-year-old girl? Well, we’ve got some ideas.
By now you've seen the news and read the analysis: 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed by Detroit police when they raided her home in search of a murder suspect. Communities across the country are outraged—and probably, so are you. But chances are if you're not in Detroit, you're looking for ways to channel that anger. As Akiba Solomon wrote this week, the big answers are elusive and, as individuals, we all get overwhelmed by the complexity.
So ColorLines checked in with local and national organizers and came up with a few places to start moving. Here are five ways to stop fuming and start rabble rousing. Jump off with the easiest, but keep moving through to the big steps.
Shape the conversation. You’re on Facebook. You’ve joined one of the pages that have popped up in response to Aiyana's shooting (like here and here). So start talking—about the big picture rather than the interpersonal dynamics. What about patterns of police using excessive force in Black neighborhoods? Detroit's track record isn't pretty, actually.
Tell ’em you care. Email Attorney General Eric Holder at AskDOJ@usdoj.gov. Ron Scott, founder of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, pointed out that Aiyana’s tragic death is just one piece of a much larger puzzle that includes two federal consent decrees since 2003. Members of Scott's coalition drafted a sample letter you can send, asking for an end to what he calls the Detroit department's "military tactics" in communities of color and for a federal investigation into Aiyana's death. Blogger Adrienne Maree Brown has posted the letter here. You can also call DOJ directly at 202-514-2001.
Get Informed about the gun control debate nationally, because it impacts communities locally. We can’t forget that this ugly affair involves another youth, 17-year-old Je’Rean Blake, who also died from gunplay. Detroit police say they were hunting his killer when they burst into the Jones home. Whatever the Jones’ relationship to Je’Rean’s murder, his death reinforces the fact that there are too many guns on the streets. Here's a good place to start learning why.
Donate to the Aiyana Stanley-Jones Fund at Fifth Third Bank (1-800-972-3030). The effort began as the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality's effort to help the family pay for funeral costs, and it's still going. We called local branches this week and found that it's a tough process if you're not nearby, but it's one of the few ways to support the family directly.
Become a watchdog in your community. Look for police accountability efforts in your area. Ilana Weaver, a Detroit-based rapper and activist who goes by the stage name Invincible, reports that local activists hope to build alliances with groups concerned about policing everywhere. The National Police Accountability Project's got a good list of both local and national organizations to help you get started.
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Great post! Glad to see your still blogging. Keep up the great blogging work.
AAPP
I THINK IT IS MOST APPARENT THAT THESE DAYS WE AS PARENTS MUST STAND-UP IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. IT IS A LOW DOWN DIRTY SHAME THAT WE CAN'T DEFEND OURSELVES THE WAY WE OUGHT TO. WE NEED TO MAKE GOVERNMENT REALIZE THAT WE HAVE LIVES AND CHILDREN TOO. THE MORE MORE WE STAY LAXED THE MORE THEY TRY TO MAKE ASSHOLES OUT OF US. I'M SORRY IF I AFFENDED ANYONE THINK ABOUT YOU AND YOUR KIDS, AND GRANDS GETTING SHOT AT, OR EVEN KILLED FOR NO REASON . . .
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