On Ferguson (by Sanyika Shakur)

As long as We beg, hat in hand, the enemy culture to indict one of their own (for a job well done) in the killing of one or ten of our nationals, We will continue to be disappointed, dismayed, mystified, and confused.

Why would they bow to our pressure of spontaneous riots, of petty looting, of collective prayers, and senseless begging? “Power concedes nothing without a demand,” let us remember. As long as We confine our demands within the small neocolonial confines of this system it will maneuver our rants and raves into any one of its blind alleys of pressure-relief: indictments, jury trials, appeals, probation, community service, etc. When push comes to shove they will allow for an escape.

The fact is We are not speaking the same language as our captors. They can’t – won’t and will not – yield to our petty all but harmless verbal protests of “indict” – because they are not using that playbook, not speaking or comprehending that language. So for three months We’ve worn out some shoes, got gassed, caught a gang of misdemeanor charges and begged these pigs to tame their own – and the results? “Fuck you, he was right!” So now what?

Why do We need them to indict Darren Wilson when the people, our people, already have? Because they say they won’t, We won’t? Their message to the people is “Fuck you!” Now what? What will be the message from us to them? “You’re right”? Or, “After all, we are all Americans, right?” But if this were the case why aren’t any other 18-year-olds, 10-years-olds, 16-years-olds, boys or girls being killed by those sworn to “protect and serve”?

The pigs have been indicted by the people.

Now deliver the sentence.

Fuck the police!