by Ernie McCray
The murder of Renee Michele Good
in her neighborhood
for reasons as unjustified
as a motive
could possibly be
has grabbed my attention dramatically
due to such action being extremely unlikely
considering
that law enforcement people
in America
have historically
committed such crimes
against its darker skinned citizens
like, for instance,
George Floyd
who died as a result
of a man who was hired
to serve and protect
kneeling on his neck
or Breonna Taylor
who was shot at least eight times
when she wasn’t even a suspect.
But suddenly overnight,
relatively speaking,
White folks,
who once, generally,
didn’t have to fret much
about such situations
when they hadn’t broken any rules
now need
to be on guard
for overreactions
by folks
who aren’t really legally
keepers of the peace:
goons in masks,
goose stepping Neo-Nazis
calling themselves ICE,
doing harm to immigrants
and citizens, likewise,
no matter their race or ethnicity,
while MAGA folks and the like
laugh at them hatefully
and further insult them
yelling coldhearted sentimentalities
at them
claiming that they
should have no fears
if they’re here legally
and have nothing to hide
and how they should step aside
and let these thugs do their job,
with no apparent concern
that approximately three-quarters
of those contained
had broken no laws
or been out of line
in any form or fashion,
victims of a presidential administration
that tends to lean heavily towards fascism,
eroding civil liberties at every turn,
drowning descent
such as peaceful protests
in a reign of terror
that allows armed agents
to get away with murder,
no less
and enable
those who call themselves
making America great again
to turn a blind eye
to what really happened to a hapless
mother and wife,
a poet
with a gentle soul
who was doing something
she had every right
to do,
a law-abiding White American
if the truth be told.
And if I may be bold
I must say
that we’ve stepped
into uncharted territory
in a huge way,
based on what’s
been happening lately
in “The Good Old USA,”
a macabre
kind of social existence
wherein
anyone of us
could, literally,
be the next person
to be blown away
by a depraved ICE agent
who has lost his way
as a human being,
a possibility that warns us,
as a citizenry,
that we need to vociferously
and unhesitatingly
stay the course
in our efforts
to bring an evil regime
to its knees,
following the exemplary activities
of Minnesotans in Minneapolis
who have,
after the horrific murder
of Renee Good,
stood up strongly
on each street corner
in sub-zero weather
blowing whistles
as a tool of resistance
and an early warning system
against ICE’S treasonous operations,
radiating ripples of love
to defeat the hate
that permeates our society,
of late.
And I would say that we couldn’t possibly
do anything more to honor
all who have died,
at the hands
of those who choose to abuse their power
rather than going about maintaining order
carefully and earnestly,
than standing up
to them –
as a means of
paving the way for future generations
to enjoy promising lives
and eventually create
a country
that truly
comes to realize
liberty and justice for all.
