by Rebecca Wu
On Friday Night, the 29th, it was a peaceful and profound protest demonstrating injustice not just by police but by horrifically unfair criminal charges—or none at all to those who committed unspeakable crimes.
I saw a peaceful and beautiful march and protest from around 6 to 9pm in South Sacramento, to the police department where Stephon Clark’s brother talked, a protest planned by Black Lives Matter. There were so many people of different color and many white people as well.
The police helped the protesters get to their destination and stood respectfully, and did not respond to a few who threw verbal abuses. It was only the next day did I learn a few had minor injuries and two cars had some minor damage as well—and it might have been way later after the main march was over. I do not know those details. I do know I felt proud of Sacramento and found it a sacred and safe place.
When one white young man with a flag started to have a crowd close in, nobody hurt him and he walked away after another person said they supported George Floyd. There was one person on a bike and others saying don’t touch him. Pizza was brought in for the protesters, and people were courteous. The officers did not have large plastic face masks and were respectful back. Except for a few people who said some mean things to the police, everyone was respectful. There were people of all color and ages.
Then things starkly changed in our sacred town. Saturday happened and it was shocking and sad as the town was torn up in many places and stores looted. Footage from a friend on Facebook, from her window above J Street, showed chaos. I can only hope people will continue to peacefully demonstrate. I did not see this horror and most demonstrators did not have any part in it. It was reported that a group of demonstrators chanted “hands up, don’t shoot.” A young boy was hurt horrifically.
I am demonstrating or marching not just for the cold blooded intentional murder in the 1st degree of Mr. Floyd, but also for the failure of the DA, AG, or others for not acting and filing this charge, nor the charge for accomplices or accessories to murder for the other officers doing nothing. They should be held like a public or government official representing a public entity. They have a duty to the People and that duty comes first.
There are ways and solutions to quell this whitewater. We need to LOBBY for STRICT laws on police who do not protect the most vulnerable people, all people of color and white people, FROM the hands of the officer in power over them. IF they turn a blind eye to their first duty to protect the MOST vulnerable people they must be charged with the highest of crimes, murder or as an accomplice to murder. When the partners or other officers are held more seriously accountable, this alone could change the status quo where they generally back each other up no matter what.
I was also marching because of racism, and because of the mistreatment of the poor, vulnerable or those who speak out. It is not some illusion, this is real and it’s running rampant in society. Without a check we could get rocked. History shows us the vulnerability of countries that have unchecked uprisings. Revolution is not far off, but we don’t have to go down that road. Nobody wanted to acknowledge 
it, but our homes are controlled, the war has already started.
Founding father Patrick Henry said, “The war is actually begun! ..” and went on to say “.. Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
He had said, “The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. .It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace.”
In our fragile, volatile states that are united, peace is still possible. Let’s march, let’s lobby, and let’s talk to move for healing, accountability and love for each other. This great nation deserves peace.!
Premeditated or intentional murder is, or should be argued, where one plans with sound calm mind at some point—and it does not have to be hours before. Premeditated murder is where one knows or has training to know where one’s knee is, what pressure it is giving, and how it can kill people. When one is told that one is killing someone, and the pinned person claims they can’t breath, with blood, then there are a beginnings of premeditated unless released instantly, especially if handcuffed and down with back up on stand by. Premeditated conditions occur when one knows there are Covid-19 potential issues at stake in recovering from a respiratory failure. When one continues to do what one is doing that can kill someone, it’s premeditated.
The AG and on up to the federal level have not claimed any interference in this rancid decision to save a few over the pain and suffering of many millions around the country from the backlash of an unjust system. It’s time for change, it’s time for stronger law and federal overview on up. “Silence is betrayal” -MLK. That applies to everyone all the way up. Talking to neighbors, friends, family, and Congress is one way of speaking up. There are many ways, not just demonstrating, and to each their own path.
Training is useful to a point, and We the PEOPLE are WAY past that point.
Laws not only must mandate that at the highest level is the protection of the people from violent or harmful officers. There need to be laws allowing the right of way of some sort for a another officer to take over completely and claim the right if something is afoul. Let it be a learned therapy program for officers to regularly go through for forgiveness and understanding for other officers having enlisted that right and a way for it to be safe to voice differences and make that ok.
A forgotten statement by a supreme court judge in California said, “Apparently believing that his duty is to represent the city council instead of the voters of Costa Mesa, the city attorney did not defend the initiative. When the Court of Appeals held the initiative invalid, he did not petition this court for a hearing.” Cal. Supreme Court. Amel vs City of Costa Mesa, 28 Cal 3rd 511. 169 Cal Rprt (1980)
I am grateful to the Sacramento officers who arrested a Davis officer for assaulting a woman in a bar years back. That same officer had an ongoing case and was claiming a false action by friend of mine—and I saw the truth. They did the right thing, and when they were standing in rows at the police department, I did not see them wearing large plastic masks. The crowd behaved.
I used to work with a white football coach and teacher at a Vallejo high school where we worked out in the last portables. He was so so loved and he was friend, counselor and teacher to so many kids. The school had a large African American student population and at least over 50 percent minorities, with the majority of them from low income families . He told me how he became a CHP officer and left the academy to go down to LA, but when he knew his comrades would not back him up if attacked he knew his life would be in serious danger. I remember being shocked when he told me this in person. CHP training is one of the best in the country, hard to get into, and long. Traumatized, he had to quit his career and start over in another one. He spoke out for students at the school and I don’t know what happened after the school closed down and the state took over.
He was completely terrified for his life but NOT from the gang members or other violent people; he was scarred out of his mind from the police that he worked with!
You see, he said, “My girlfriend was Black,” and he said they knew and they didn’t trust him. They thought he could stand up for the other side, or speak up if they treated people less than human. Some hated him and that could get him killed. Why?
And that’s why training is not enough, hate and prejudice even to white folks they don’t like will weave its way through the proper procedures and polices and video workshops. It sits like an elephant in the room and nobody will address it, and if you do or want to, you might want to think about your family, house, or one you want. Shut up. And be careful of your career in a school setting about the atrocities to the lowest performing school in the county with the most vulnerable students especially, if it is a stone’s throw from Sacramento— that is what I have learned.
I am no different, I had been silenced in the interest of my career before. facing mass layoffs because of no protection for mis-classification. Then I spoke up about the civil rights violation, like no free buss passes for students to come back to school for the week, to the school which should get Title One federal funds and would be a focus for equal education and equal distribution of trained teachers, not teachers denied normal district training and five teacher editions to share. Or an email from my principal sent out to staff responding to my email saying we should go to the board and ask for more money. My principal responded, saying when there is more money we can look at the bus pass issue. But it was two years later I finally went to the board. They were claiming over one million on average went to the school as additional funds, but that was not true. Today, no investigation has occurred.
The mirror is for us all, including the violent. Treatment of the poor, the vulnerable, the lowest denominator in the employment world—including the pubic government employee who wants job stability and a decent income. It threads every fiber of our being and every fiber of our society. It weaves its way up to murder, because its foundation has been solidifying more and more.
Compliance and silence by you, me, the president, won’t work to solve what were facing as we wake up today. There are ombudsman, and an AG that can chime in, but some sort of accountability and tougher laws for crimes by cops must be in place! Now.
Its time to put the PEOPLE first. Demand laws be changed, and demand that a higher power in government review the charge and any possible conflict of interest by the DAs, and/or have AG approval of a decisions such as only charging 3rd degree murder.
This 3rd degree is causing 3rd degree burns on the country and the foundation of society!
Start speaking up and be brave!
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