Thursday, June 4, 2020

Overnight

My nephew, who joined the National Guard after graduating from college last summer, has just been activated. He is to be in Richmond, Virginia by 1 p.m today. For those of you who have been reading here a while, this is my late Aunt Winnie's grandson. Now he will be out in these streets with a rifle in his hands. He's 23. I don't like it one bit.

When Obama addressed the nation last evening, it was as if we had a president again, as well as a wise professor who could teach us, and a dad who could calm us and give us hope. One day later, reading what happened in cities across the country overnight, I am again plunged into despair.

In Austin, Texas, a 20-year-old college student, Justin Howell, was shot in the head at close range by so called non lethal bullets. As he lay convulsing and bleeding out on the street, a medic ran to help him, his hands raised and crossed at the wrists to identify himself as EMS. The police shot him too, as well as other people trying to get Justin to safety.

This hits home hard for me because my son is a medic and a firefighter in New York City where, as in so many other cities across the country, police in riot gear seem to be losing their natural minds. Please read the young medic's account of what happened in Austin.




Justin Howell, a political science major at Texas State, remains in critical condition with a fractured skull and brain damage. All he was doing was exercising his First Amendment right of protest. I don't want to be gratuitously triggering in this space, but if you want to see what so called "non-lethal" ammunition is doing to people, go ahead and research some of the photos from this past week alone.

21 comments:

  1. Oh my god. It's too much to bear. I've been crying since I woke up 2.5 hours ago and I'm lucky. I'm safe. WTF. Why is this being allowed to continue? It's sickening. There is no justice in the US right now.

    I'm so sorry.

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  2. It's like "they" are trying to prove what the protesters are attempting to say- that black lives do not matter. See? Here. We'll shoot another one.
    We are in the vast depths of insanity.

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  3. Oh God in Heaven, this is madness. What is WRONG with cops like this? Shooting medics and journalists and people exercising their constitutional right to protest. This is the first I've heard of this incident and I am beyond upset, shocked, horrified.

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  4. Speechless. I had not heard of this event. It just gets worse and worse. I agree -- having Obama speak WAS like having a president again. Where is Biden? I don't think I'm seeing the news here in the same way you all are seeing it in America. Here in the UK I feel like Biden is basically invisible.

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  5. Depressing in all ways. Think I will check on my granddaughter in Austin.

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  6. We must fix this once and for all. How many protests, marches, beatings, and deaths will it take to finally make it stop? When will we wake up? I've been asking myself that for the 68 years I've been on this earth. So far the answer has been, not yet. Now is the time. Now.

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  7. One of the (many) things that enrages me, is that there is a protocol for using the "non-lethal" weapons and it does not include aiming at people - anywhere. They're supposed to be shot at the ground and then bounce up. The cops all know this, they just don't care. Is deBlasio really defending the police force tactics?

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  8. Can not comment . Utterly shattered. My love is always with you and your lovely family. I just got the boot from facebook again for saying something true about white people...Facebook clearly a tool for the "right" white masters. Glad for access to what is occurring , though. Just say anything about white folks on Rump's FB in code . We will not stop-

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  9. Beyond heartbroken. Do we stay and work for justice? Do we move back to Canada? Do we go back to our Caribbean homeland? These have all come up in our home. We were so proud to become citizens under President Obama. Living in Atlanta, John Lewis, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Stacey Abrams, Killer Mike, the young people calling for justice, so many others, all give me hope. Joe Biden speaking in Philadelphia gave me hope. May your son be safe from this carnage.

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  10. they are purposely shooting people in the head and face. why do they think reacting with brutality to a protest against police brutality is going to stop the protests?

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  11. You know my blog is not political but I cannot sit here and do nothing .So , sorry I did not e mail you first but I have put something up .

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  12. Thinking about your nephew and your son. Keeping them both up front in my mind. Sending love.

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  13. WTF...I am in the depths of despair reading this. Sending love to you and your family...

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  14. Oh I am so glad that I came to check your post tonight. I have been trying to find out what had happened to the young man in critical condition. I did search but just came across the same previous articles. The last I heard there was no news to report. I don't watch the news on tv because our tv is sitting in the kitchen right now. Long story but we are deep cleaning.
    It has been just awful and for hours today I heard ambulances, fire trucks and it just sent fear into my stomach.
    And also thank you for sharing the EMS story as well. Only thing that I had found online was she was shot in the hand... One hand by a less lethal bullet (BS) or as they are calling them here bean bag rounds.
    It has been really bad here. It hasn't stopped for days and it keeps getting worse by the day.
    My son is a truck driver and they are sending them around the cities and around the protests as best that they can and said if they get stopped due to the protesters to remain in his truck. He was stuck in Mass for 4 days and now stuck in N. Carolina.
    I pray for your son every night along with my own. I have been so afraid for your son as well as mine during this scary time and Oh Yes I felt that Obama was back in the oval office and how I wish that he was.
    He was a real leader and I miss him so much.
    That goon we have in the white house is just a loser and coward and opportunist along with his creepy ass kids.
    Thinking of you and your family hon and also if you hear how that young man is will you please let me know and I will do the same for you.
    God Bless xxxx

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  15. I feel totally overwhelmed by all the news at the moment. Police brutality, covid 19, Madeleine McCann, the list is endless. My younger daughter suffers with Borderline Personality Disorder and all this information is making her very ill.

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  16. We know about this in the UK. Everyone (well, almost I suspect) is sickened and saddened.

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  17. It's too much to bear, to hold. Please take good care of yourself. I hadn't heard this story, and while it is so difficult to read, I'm glad you shared it. These things need to come to the light.

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  18. We are experiencing an emotional roller coaster that just won't quit. Sending love. Holding your nephew in my heart.

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  19. It is indeed in the news on social media here in England, journalists are shot at with the so called rubber bullets, the law is being broken in America by the ruling power and their 'soldiers'

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  20. Hopefully your nephew was told what my son (ANG) was told by his commander when he was called up for service during the riots in Baltimore (Freddy Gray): "You are being called up to protect the citizens and their right to protest." My son said he and the protesters had good conversations about what was happening and why. All of the Guard were identifiable--their name tags clearly visible on their regular uniforms. They did not have any problems or incidents with the protesters. Clearly not what is happening in so many places these days as evidenced by too, too many situations like the one you shared.

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  21. I found out that the EMS worker is going to be alright. I have only heard that this young man is still in critical condition but was awake before being put into a medical induced coma.
    I hope this information is correct because I don't want to be responsible for misinformation.
    This is such a horrible situation. My heart is heavy today. Sending you love and light and also for your family.
    I thought that I had replied to your blog but maybe not. Things have been crazy here with my daughter and her family leaving for the West coast we are trying to get our house in order... TTYl xxx

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