DEFENDING our POLICE OFFICERS?

The other day, I ended up inadvertently eavesdropping to a conversation between two ladies. The setting was an outside cafe in Berkeley, California where I live.

They were sitting at a table right behind me – at least 6 feet away – and I couldn’t see them. Unless I would turn around, which I didn’t want to do. Till the very end.

From their conversation, I understood their names to be ANGELA and NINA.

What a fascinating conversation they were having! It turned out to have a very surprising ending, too.

NINA

But Angela, Black Lives Matter!

ANGELA

Of course, they do. Nobody said they don’t. Maybe KKK in their secret meetings say it. But, I haven’t heard anyone say it publicly, have you?

NINA

But people act as if black lives DON’T matter.

ANGELA

Who does?

NINA

Racist cops, white cops who kill blacks. Unarmed blacks, mind you.

ANGELA

Assuming that there are racist white cops, and probably there are some. White cops, by and large, do not act the way they do because they believe black lives don’t matter. They’re responding to a tense situation, as called by their duty. And, in the vast majority of cases, their actions are consistent with their training and the rules on the books.

Perhaps at times, in tense, fast-speed confrontations, they act incompetently, they panic… it is entirely possible. But being incompetent is not the same thing as being blatantly racist.

NINA

But so many blacks get killed by the white cops.

ANGELA

Did you know that more whites than blacks get killed by white cops every year in this country?

NINA

No, that can’t be true.

ANGELA

Better believe it. Of course there are about 5 times more whites than blacks in the general population, so when that fact is taken into account, yes, it becomes correct to say that blacks are getting killed by the cops disproportionately more than the whites.

NINA

Well. Doesn’t it prove racism of the white cops?

ANGELA

No, it does not. There are many other explanations for that kind of statistics.

NINA

Knee on someone’s neck, causing him to choke and die? I’m talking about the killing of George Floyd, of course.

ANGELA

That white cop might have been a racist, we don’t know. Maybe we’ll learn during the trial. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if his lawyers defend him by claiming that he was following allowed police procedure. And they might be correct, we’ll see.

Besides, Floyd was using drugs. He had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system during his encounter with the cops. Not that he deserved to die like that, nobody does.

NINA

Apparently, he was a stand-up, nice fellow. A teddy-bear of a guy.

ANGELA

With a long, criminal-record, in and out of jail, most of his adult life. And on that day, he was allegedly passing counterfeit money, the reason the store-owner called the cops on him, to begin with.

NINA

Never heard that! He had a criminal record?

ANGELA

My point exactly. Media reports what fits the narrative they like. What is politically correct. Not what is just correct, and true. The image they manufactured for Floyd, may he rest in peace, was a model citizen. In reality, he was nothing but.

NINA

You sound just like Donald Trump. Something you don’t like, it becomes fake news! A hoax, perpetuated by the media.

ANGELA

Oh please. I hate Trump as much as you do. And, I hope he gets defeated in November by Biden and Harris.

NINA

Are you going to sit there and argue that there is no racial injustice in this country?

ANGELA

No, I’m not saying that at all. But to recognize that there is racial injustice, systemic racism is not the same thing as blaming the white cops every time a black man gets killed by them out there. Unfortunate and tragic as it is.

NINA

But Angela, even whites are saying that. Admitting that now. Which is some kind of a progress I guess, isn’t it?

ANGELA

Yes, it is, as long as it is not pandering to the blacks. Pandering makes whites feel less guilty. Because most feel guilty. Because of the sins of their ancestors. That’s the tragic legacy of slavery which has been very real and painful for the African-Americans, of course.

NINA

In your opinion, when whites say black lives matter, are they pandering to the blacks?

ANGELA

They could very well be pandering. Or, they’re trying to look fair, non-racist, I don’t know. How about saying ALL lives matter, instead?

NINA

Wow! You sound like a Republican. And I know, you’re not.

How about the more recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha? In the back, by a white cop? Which left him paralyzed!

ANGELA

Did you see the video-tape?

NINA

Yes I did. He was getting into his car.

ANGELA

Didn’t he know that the cops, with their guns out, were asking him to stop?

NINA

He was unarmed Angela, for crying out loud!

ANGELA

And, he didn’t stop, as he should have, but reached into his car. He could have been reaching for a weapon. Then, turn around and shoot the cops, right there. Do you expect the cop who shot him to take that chance?

NINA

Shot him 7 times!

ANGELA

That’s their training, Nina. A black cop would have done the same thing. That’s their training. Don’t you know many cops, white, black, brown, get shot and killed during encounters like that, while trying to apprehend a suspect? That’s why the cops are afraid, especially of young black men, when they need to confront, to apprehend them, as part of their job.

NINA

And, blacks are afraid of the white cops. How could they not be!?

ANGELA

Sure, but don’t forget, more blacks are killed by other blacks than by white cops in this country, every year. Much more. Very sad and frightening, but this has been true for decades. An inconvenient truth usually ignored by the liberal media.

NINA

Back to Jacob Blake. Do you mean to say he asked for it? He brought it upon himself?

ANGELA

I’m afraid he did. And, believe me, my heart goes out to him and his family. A tragedy that didn’t have to happen.

NINA

Wow! I knew you were an independent thinker, but right now I’m having a very hard time believing you’re a black person.

ANGELA

As black as you’re white, my friend. The difference here is, you’re trying to be politically correct, and I am trying to be just correct. Just truthful, period.

NINA

But black lives matter, Angela!

ANGELA

Yes Nina. And, the TRUTH matters too. Without the truth, we’re never gonna make any progress. We will always be stuck in Trumpland in this country.

NINA

Are there other blacks who think like you?

ANGELA

Many. Have you heard of Candace Owens, for example?

NINA

No.

ANGELA

I don’t always agree with her, but on this issue, we see eye to eye. I’m looking forward to her book coming out soon. I believe it’s called “Blackout”.

NINA

Any other blacks I might have heard of? And, please don’t say Kanye West.

ANGELA

Hahaha. No, I won’t! He is a joke. Let me paraphrase that: he is a deeply troubled brother.

NINA

That’s better. How about anyone else I might have heard of?

ANGELA

Okay… How about Morgan Freeman?

NINA

He thinks like you? How do you know that?

ANGELA

Google him. On YouTube, you’ll see for yourself. And, there are many other blacks who think like that, too. It’s just that they don’t get any publicity by the liberal media.

NINA

So if it’s not the RACISM of the whites, or more specially the white cops, what keeps this tragedy going? What’s to be done, Angela?

ANGELA

I believe it’s the ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, as the root-cause. Racism comes with it, of course. Otherwise, slavery would have never existed, to begin with…

—————————————-

Then, the two ladies suddenly went quiet. Could they be leaving?

I hesitated for a moment. Then, with a subtle move, I decided to turn my head and look behind me. They were gone, there was nobody there!

Wait! Is it possible that I imagined them and their whole conversation? I guess it’s possible, cause these are really strange times, as we keep reminding each other, aren’t they?

Thought I’d share…

Thank you for indulging me

May peace be upon us all.

~ Celik Kayalar

PS: Please check out my Article from June 3rd, 2020

titled “REMEDY for RACISM in America”, at:

and, also at

www.celik-kayalar.com (under Articles)

Thank you.