Then the Eric Garner case walked back into national focus.
And apparently the New York grand jury members were unable to see what the rest of the world including the New York City Medical Examiner saw.
That this was and is a homicide.
Which is exactly why it was ruled that way.
Does anyone not think that if the Medical Examiner's office could have ruled any other way, they would have done so and saved the city this whole issue?
They ruled with integrity.
The Grand Jury failed.
I am not saying that the police officer is guilty. This is not for me to say. A jury of his peers would have to determine that.
But because the Grand Jury decided against indictment, Daniel Pantaleo will never face that type of jury in New York City.
The Grand Jury failed by not giving its citizens that option.
Shame on them.
Officer Pantaleo offered a statement of prayers and condolences from his family to Mr. Garners. They were rejected, seemingly out of hand.
Good for him for at least trying.
The case of Michael Brown is a different issue.
Based on the autopsy reports, reliable witnesses and evidence, Darren Wilson should not have been indicted.
I believe that the Grand Jury in Ferguson did their job.
But in New York......
WOW! Just what the hell happened?
I don't think that Officer Pantaleo or the other officers intended for his death to occur, but it did. They over reacted.
Yeah, he did not comply to their requests. But he wasn't threatening citizens of their city. He was standing on the sidewalk.
Patience is a virtue. NYPD needs to find some.
I can't imagine how many muggings happened while the multiple cops were arresting one man for allegedly selling cigarettes.
Can we talk about a better use of police assets.
Did Eric Garner deserve to be arrested and charged with a crime?
I don't know.
They found no evidence on him. What is his history? He claimed they had been harassing him. Were they? He was supposedly on bail for selling untaxed cigarettes. Why arrest him again?
But he did not deserve to be wrestled to the ground by a multitude of police officers and have a banned chokehold used on him.
He did not deserve anything that happened.
Should he have simply submitted and let himself be arrested?
I don't know.
There it is.
The question I cannot answer because I am not Eric Garner. I am not an African American male. I cannot begin to put myself in that place.
But what I do know is this:
If he had not resisted he likely would be alive today, planning what gifts to buy his children,grandchildren and wife for Christmas.
He would have enjoyed the costumes and candy of Halloween. He looked like he might enjoy a good candy bar or two.
He would have had turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie while sharing what he was thankful for last week. With six kids he had a lot to be grateful about.
Instead on July 17, 2014, an altercation occurred between him and the police.
Nobody won.
I watch the video and I cannot see how the Grand Jury did not see the same things I did.
A man died.
An indictment should have been handed out. It is clear that the system failed.
It is clear that we must have a new system.
One where people of any color should not fear the police talking to them.
One where only the guilty need worry about bullets paid for by our own tax dollars.
One where color, nationality, sexuality, gender do not matter.
One where justice is NOT BLIND to doing what is right.
But I am obviously fucking nuts to believe this will happen.
I know the current chant is "Black Lives Matter"
But for me it should be
"ALL LIVES MATTER"
Because they do, equally!
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