Legendary basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote a must-read opinion at TIME magazine that offered a thoughtful perspective on what was happening in Ferguson, Missouri under the provocative headline: The Coming Race War Won’t Be About Race.
TIME has now asked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to weigh in on the recent protests in New York City over the deaths of Eric Garner and two police officers assassinated in their vehicle by a crazed gunman. Police Aren’t Under Attack. Institutional Racism Is:
The way to honor those who defend our liberties with their lives — as did my father and grandfather — is not to curtail liberty, but to exercise it fully in pursuit of a just and peaceful society
According to Ecclesiastes, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose.” For me, today, that means a time to seek justice and a time to mourn the dead.
And a time to shut the hell up.
The recent brutal murder of two Brooklyn police officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, is a national tragedy that should inspire nationwide mourning. Both my grandfather and father were police officers, so I appreciate what a difficult and dangerous profession law enforcement is. We need to value and celebrate the many officers dedicated to protecting the public and nourishing our justice system. It’s a job most of us don’t have the courage to do.
At the same time, however, we need to understand that their deaths are in no way related to the massive protests against systemic abuses of the justice system as symbolized by the recent deaths—also national tragedies—of Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, and Michael Brown. Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the suicidal killer, wasn’t an impassioned activist expressing political frustration, he was a troubled man who had shot his girlfriend earlier that same day. He even Instagrammed warnings of his violent intentions. None of this is the behavior of a sane man or rational activist. The protests are no more to blame for his actions than The Catcher in the Rye was for the murder of John Lennon or the movie Taxi Driver for the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Crazy has its own twisted logic and it is in no way related to the rational cause-and-effect world the rest of us attempt to create.
Those who are trying to connect the murders of the officers with the thousands of articulate and peaceful protestors across America are being deliberately misleading in a cynical and selfish effort to turn public sentiment against the protestors. This is the same strategy used when trying to lump in the violence and looting with the legitimate protestors, who have disavowed that behavior. They hope to misdirect public attention and emotion in order to stop the protests and the progressive changes that have already resulted. Shaming and blaming is a lot easier than addressing legitimate claims.
Some police unions are especially heinous perpetrators. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s previous public support of protestors has created friction with these unions. The Patrolman’s Benevolent Association responded with a petition asking that the mayor not attend the funerals of officers killed in the line of duty.
Following the murders of Ramos and Liu, an account appearing to represent the Sergeants Benevolent Association tweeted: “The blood of 2 executed police officers is on the hands of Mayor de Blasio.” Former New York governor George Pataki tweeted: “Sickened by these barbaric acts, which sadly are a predictable outcome of divisive anti-cop rhetoric of #ericholder and #mayordeblasio. #NYPD.”
This phony and logically baffling indignation is similar to that expressed by the St. Louis County Police Association when it demanded an apology from the NFL when several Rams players entered the field with their hands held high in the iconic Michael Brown gesture of surrender. Or when LeBron James and W.R. Allen wore his “I Can’t Breathe” shirts echoing Eric Garner’s final plea before dying. Such outrage by police unions and politicians implies that there is no problem, which is the erroneous perception that the protestors are trying to change.
This shrill cry of “policism” (a form of reverse racism) by Pataki and the police unions is a hollow and false whine born of financial self-interest (unions) or party politics (Republican Pataki besmirching Democrat de Blasio) rather than social justice. These tragic murders now become a bargaining chip in whatever contract negotiations or political aspirations they have.
What prompted a mentally unstable man to shoot two officers? Protestors? The mayor? Or the unjust killings of unarmed black men? Probably none of them. He was a ticking bomb that anything might have set off. What’s most likely to prevent future incidents like this? Stopping the protests which had sparked real and positive changes through a national dialogue? Changes that can only increase faith in and respect for the police? No, because the killer was mentally unfit. Most likely protecting the police from future incidents will come from better mental health care to identify, treat, and monitor violent persons. Where are those impassioned tweets demanding that?
In a Dec. 21, 2014 article about the shooting, the Los Angeles Times referred to the New York City protests as “anti-police marches,” which is grossly inaccurate and illustrates the problem of perception the protestors are battling. The marches are meant to raise awareness of double standards, lack of adequate police candidate screening, and insufficient training that have resulted in unnecessary killings. Police are not under attack, institutionalized racism is. Trying to remove sexually abusive priests is not an attack on Catholicism, nor is removing ineffective teachers an attack on education. Bad apples, bad training, and bad officials who blindly protect them, are the enemy. And any institution worth saving should want to eliminate them, too.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose.” This is the season and time when we should be resolved to continue seeking justice together and not let those with blind biases distract, diminish, or divide us. The way to honor those who defend our liberties with their lives—as did my father and grandfather—is not to curtail liberty, but to exercise it fully in pursuit of a just and peaceful society.
Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and league Most Valuable Player. He is also a celebrated author, filmmaker and education ambassador.
I don’t have much regard for Time Magazine, but I never thought I would hear them talking like white supremists and Black Panthers when they start talking about “the coming race war”. What kind of “war” are they expecting? A shooting war? A legal war? A war of words? They really should make it clear because even though I hold them in disrepute, they are still held in high regard by many, most notably on the left. Their words can stir the wrong emotions and perhaps set some people in action in ways they didn’t intend. I pray that this current process we are going through remains a relatively peaceful one that leads to meaningful reconciliation and not more violence.
Maybe you should have actually read the opinion before becoming unhinged over a provocative caption.
I did read the article and it never lived up to the hype of the headline. I wanted to call attention to the headline because it was so provocative. I mean talking about the coming race war is rather pugnacious even if the article doesn’t support the headline. I just couldn’t pass it up…especially since the article itself was so boring.
The morality of being a police officer is a good subject to discus. They came about after the civil war to control the freed negroes, before that we just had sheriffs and constables. As a police officer you were required to arrest rosa parks beat civil rights protesters and anti war protestors. Here in scottsdale you were required to enforce the n****r free zone for driving while black. Arrest undocumented for trying to feed their families chase homeless out of parks I could go on and on. In nazi germany you were required to arrest jewish children. Rights are in the constitution. Law enforcement was considered a necessary evil. Look what law enforcement have done to milke and arians. To be a police officer is to support an evil arizona and enforce its corrupt laws. If you wish to be a good german police officer that is your decision. Remember this the next time you see the movie gandhi. What is the alternative you ask. Until you have only just laws and no longer have a legal and political system of mercy and forgiveness for the rich and the powerful and LAW and ORDER for the people down at the bottom do not partake of the system. When I get called for jury duty I tell them that arizona is corrupt and therefore will have to find not guilty as I can not be a part of this corrupt system. One should not partake of this evil system as a police officer or it will never change.
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