Poverty Is The Problem and Reparations is The Solution

UNFILTERED RANT: STOP DRINKING THE KOOLAID!

re: the 100 shootings in Chicago this weekend…

There are a lot of ways that people die. There are also lots of ways that people kill themselves. One of the more popular suicide methods, (they bring it up a lot on crime shows like, “Criminal Minds” is something called, “suicide by cop.”

Typically it used to describe an instance when someone who is committing a crime, would rather die, than to be caught and/or put in jail. However, that person lacks the “will-power” (I don’t the correct term. Maybe courage? strength? determination?) to kill themselves. So instead the “criminal” points a gun at the police officer, assuring that the police will follow protocol when someone aims a gun at them, and shoot the person dead.

I don’t know if there a clinical term for “inner-city suicide.” But I know that this “suicide by cop” happens to traumatic folks, but it usually not cops they engage; but others in their community.

I know this happens often to POC in inner-city communities. They have such high levels of trauma/depression/anxiety, that they see no value in their life but, for whatever reason, they will not commit “traditional suicide.” I

nstead, their form of suicide is “suicide by confrontation.” They engage in outrageously dangerously confrontations with people who have the ability to kill them, with little to no regard to bystanders, because they have decided they are ready to die. They don’t care about shooting wars because they are suicidal and don’t want to live.

The trauma of living in these fucked up ass communities, with all the racism, and lack of opportunities is the cause of gun violence; not a lack of self-love.

So, please, stop. Especially Black folks, please stop. The 100 shooting in Chicago this weekend (and countless others in the nation) have NOTHING to do with the #blacklivesmatter protest against the police.

I wish I knew how to write this “nicer.” But, Black folks, we can’t let the media and other White folks, narrate our story and especially not our struggles. 100 people being shot is fucking horrible. Periodt.

But our inner-community violence has NOTHING to do with police shooting Black folks!

Black folks: we can’t get free doing the same thing over and over. We need a new strategy.

I am mad that 100 people got shot this weekend.

And, I am even madder, that people, especially Black folks, don’t understand why.

And, I am maddest that people are pretending that “love” will fix violence.

Love won’t fix violence.

Resources will fix violence.

Give Black folks resources; not lectures.

We can’t beat the system using their tools!

Shaming and blaming Black folks won’t stop the violence.

You know what will stop the violence? Providing resources, like: money, reparations, housing vouchers, school vouchers.

Resources are what will stop the violence.

*I’ll delete soon because I am too exhausted to argue with other Black folks. It is easier for us to blame black folks, for destroying ourselves, than to blame who is really destroying us. BLAGHHHHH!