admin - July 27, 2016

Freddie Gray Acquittal Proves Once More That All Lives DonÔÇÖt Matter

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After being unable to get a single conviction in the previous three trials for the death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore City Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby has decided to drop the charges on the remaining three officers. Mosby said the decision to drop the charges was “agonizing,” but she had little hope that she’d be able to get render guilty verdicts on the last three cases she was set to try. The Maryland prosecutor set up a press conference where she spoke more on what drove her to make the decision.

“After much thought and prayer it has become clear that without being able to work with an independent investigatory agency from the very start, without having a say in the election of whether cases proceed in front of a judge or jury, without communal oversight of police in this community, without substantive reforms to the current criminal justice system, we could try this case 100 times and cases just like it and we would still end up with the same result,” she said.”

While this was expected by many when she originally brought charges, there’s still a bitter taste left in the mouths who had hope, however small, that justice would be brought in the death of Freddie Gray. There are many who will blame her for the lack of results but that would be tremendously shortsighted. It might seem inexplicable to many, as Freddie Gray’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. In a world where “black lives matter” is being shouted by every corner of so many different communities, the legal system has effectively said that Freddie Gray’s death doesn’t matter. That somehow, even though his death was ruled a homicide, nobody is responsible for his death.

There are some who will undoubtedly blame Mosby for the lack of results but that would be tremendously short-sighted on their part. America has far too many layers of police protection written into law that enable officers to consistently not be held accountable for their actions. What should be remembered is that someone who had the power to try and make those officers responsible for Freddie Gray’s death actually took the risk to do so. She did this knowing full well the dangers of what would happen to her personal and professional life, including the possibility of failing and having the world turn on her. She did it anyway. Moral victories are for minor league coaches but Marilyn Mosby still deserves credit for doing what nobody else would.

Jesse Williams let loose a few tweets after the decision came down and if you’re familiar with his recent history then the tweets won’t surprise you.

"The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime." – Max Stirner #FreddieGray

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 27, 2016

If "law enforcement" isn't accountable for the easily verifiable homicide of #FreddieGray, then what's the point of "law" or a constitution?

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 27, 2016

Law w/out enforcement is merely a suggestion. Suggestions do not fill cages w Black people for profit, "law & order" does that. #FreddieGray

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 27, 2016

If #AllLivesMatter then why aren't you out here with us?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …………. #FreddieGray

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 27, 2016

The fact of that matter is, all lives don’t matter. That movement isn’t tied to anything worthy of notice as its primary construction is to refute the misguided notion that saying “black lives matter” means nobody else’s life matters. If all lives truly mattered, someone would be going to jail for the death of Freddie Gray. If all lives mattered, the people who truly believe in this rhetoric would be marching in the street with everyone else. If all lives mattered, Freddie Gray wouldn’t have died for nothing. If all lives mattered, then Marilyn Mosby would’ve been successful in her cases and everyone would be talking about ways to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

Bill Clinton gave a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention last night in support of his wife’s presidential campaign. He has this to say about black people and the police.

“If youÔÇÖre a young African-American disillusioned and afraid, we saw in Dallas how great our police officers can be, help us build a future where nobody is afraid to walk outside, including the people that wear blue to protect our future.”

What I’d like to know is, why on Earth are African Americans responsible for making it safe for police officers to walk the streets when the police are a danger to us?

Freddie Gray Acquittal Proves Once More That All Lives DonÔÇÖt Matter : UPROXX

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