Anti-Police Memorial Rally for Lovelle Mixon: Do two wrongs make a write?, By Q. Reyes – Artistic Warfare #15

March 29, 2009 Q. Reyes 0 Comments

I lived in Oakland for quite a few years before making my move to L.A., and if there’s one thing that I loved about “The Town” was its inclusiveness.  This was a few years ago, so I’m not up-to-date on how it has changed, but I remember most people getting along for the most part – except with the police.

If you were not a drug dealer protecting your territory or doing something that negatively affected other people’s lives, Oakland folks wouldn’t mess with you.  I remember when everyone did they’re own thing, and  people of all different shapes, colors, and nationalities could just walk around Lake Merritt undisturbed.

Yet, if there’s one negative thing I remember was the clear division between police and the people.  From what I learned from living there, especially in West Oakland for a while, was that this is a separation that has extended way back to the Black Panther days.

A walk through some parts of west Oakland and you might wonder if a bomb exploded there at some point.  Abandoned buildings and abandoned people, who instead of receiving help, are being kicked out in order to make room to use prime Bay Area Real Estate just minutes away from San Francisco.  There are a lot of new and exciting things sprouting in west Oakland – but at whose expense?

I always tried to stay neutral, and not break the law (that much), but I do remember police being a little too aggressive for my taste.  All of my friends had multiple stories of run-ins with the police, and to be honest, sometimes justified, but a lot of times not.

People marching against police brutality, even when four police officers were slain this past week, shows exactly how deep the roots of the conflict extend.  Choosing sides always sparks a longer war, so until all sides come together and dig into what’s the true nature of problem, these incidents will continue to spur.

The unfortunate part is when four cops are affected it becomes a national story, but when an innocent kid is shot it rarely makes the news, unless it’s caught on videotape.

Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6QKcARdl2w&fmt=18