Saturday, November 6, 2010

Justice Prevails for Oscar Grant?

http://colorlines.com/

Oscar Grant wasn't the only life senselessy profiled and/or taken on New Years 2009. Adolph Grimes III and Robbie Tolan were also victims, and these are just the ones I heard about. Growing up in Louisiana, black men getting beat down or excessively shot up by the police was not (and apparently is not) uncommon. I haven't forgotten a single story. And I know to some it can sound like a sign-of-the-time story from high school history class. But it's not. And though it never goes overlooked by the community, the thing about the south, that isn't like the west, is people of color don't speak out. We swallow it and chalk it up to "that's just how it is." But unlike Adolph and Robbie, Oscar was murdered in the west, people took note, havoc was raised by everyone, and now ex-BART cop Johannes Mehserle awaits sentencing after already spent 146 days in jail. Mehserle will serve a minimum of two years for the life he took and the pain he's caused. And it's still sad. Not only because this murderer may only get 2 years, but also because Oscar would have been further swept under the rug if so many people had not gotten angry.

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