Father's Day weekend brought tragedy to Chicago. One hundred four (104) people, including five children were shot. In response, many Muslim commentators took to social media, and imams to the pulpit to denounce the violence. "Stop killing each other!" was the most common admonishment. In my opinion, such statements reveal both lack of social consciousness, and a lack of awareness of U.S. history, and of the workings of the Prison Industry.
Why do they remain unsolved? Just as it is the job of the police to protect and serve the public, it is their job (along with that of the DA) to solve such crimes, and prosecute the killers. When it comes to the Black community, they clearly abdicate their responsibility in the former function (ie protecting and serving). However, we are naive enough to believe they fulfill the latter when it comes to the Black community (ie solving crimes and prosecuting the perpetrators).
If even one little White girl is kidnapped or killed, massive resources are expended to resolve the case. Not so in the case of Black children who are murdered. To have so many unsolved murders is highly suspicious and problematic. Black activists have even propounded the idea that some or all of these killings are committed, or at least instigated by police. I don't think it is overly far-fetched.
The prevailing White Supremacist line since the police murder of George Floyd and the subsequent tidal wave of righteous anger and protest seems to be: "Well, what about when they kill each other? Do Black lives matter then?" The intonation is that cops kill relatively few Blacks, and that Blacks are mindless and savage enough to engage in the senseless murder of their own. It seems an attempt to minimize, or even justify police killings. After all the sensationalizing of the "weekend of senseless killings" in Chicago, hopefully attention will remain on how--and how many of these murders were solved. If not, we should be demanding why.
If even one little White girl is kidnapped or killed, massive resources are expended to resolve the case. Not so in the case of Black children who are murdered. To have so many unsolved murders is highly suspicious and problematic. Black activists have even propounded the idea that some or all of these killings are committed, or at least instigated by police. I don't think it is overly far-fetched.
The prevailing White Supremacist line since the police murder of George Floyd and the subsequent tidal wave of righteous anger and protest seems to be: "Well, what about when they kill each other? Do Black lives matter then?" The intonation is that cops kill relatively few Blacks, and that Blacks are mindless and savage enough to engage in the senseless murder of their own. It seems an attempt to minimize, or even justify police killings. After all the sensationalizing of the "weekend of senseless killings" in Chicago, hopefully attention will remain on how--and how many of these murders were solved. If not, we should be demanding why.
--Nadrat Siddique
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