Institutional Violence Must Stop

In the immediate aftermath of the brutally fatal beating of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers, let us revisit the persecution and vilification of all those who, in good faith, have long stood against police brutality. Colin Kaepernick, for example, has consistently attempted to shed light on the practice of police misconduct by outlaw members of police forces throughout this country. Let it finally be made clear that Colin’s taking of a knee during the national anthem was never about disrespecting the country or its flag, but rather an expression of his constitutional right and patriotic duty to protest against the injustice of targeted and criminal violence against ordinary citizens. His efforts now can be seen for what they always have been: a clarion call to America to end police violence against those whom, instead, should be properly served and protected by those wearing the badge. George Floyd, Tavon Martin, Tyre Nichols, and thousands of other innocent victims in decades past deserved better as do all the honorable police professionals who currently remain dedicated to the task of tirelessly providing fair law enforcement and protection in communities across the nation.

Goose/Gander And Classified Documents

This should be obvious and go without saying but the investigative reporting and official inquiry into the misplaced classified documents by Biden should be treated with same degree of seriousness as the pursuit of Trump’s role in the retention and subsequent reluctance to release the classified materials he rather stupidly claimed to be his own property. Although Biden’s initial cooperation regarding the return of these sensitive documents differs dramatically from Trump’s response, it is nevertheless a matter of vital public interest that information regarding the policies of the Obama/Biden Administration be preserved in the appropriate archival space. Their retention by Biden raises questions about why they were not processed according to longstanding protocols. Materials relating to the drone warfare program, for example, which was expanded during this administration and over which Biden at least partially presided, begs questions as to why he might have wanted to retain them apart from the normal chain of custody procedures. In spite of the obvious differences in each case, both breeches of security need to be addressed fully and with an equal level of gravity. 

The Inspiration of MLK

 Martin Luther King famously observed that ‘love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend’. As we honor his birthday just days away, let us not forget his clarion call to confront the three evils of racism, poverty, and militarism that have plagued our nation for the entirety of its existence.

In spite of what one might observe in the MSM and parts of the popular culture, a spiritual revolution is well under way, it arrival long overdue, and it’s manifestations abundant albeit often just under the surface of things. MLK, not unlike prophets before him, knew that real change arises from the bottom up, from the vitality of grassroots effort, and from the ongoing need of the human spirit for justice, peace, and ultimate liberation.