I was stunned and now I’m just really angry and disappointed that there was no indictment in the killing of yet another unarmed black man, Eric Garner, in Staten Island last summer.  If I wasn’t hooked up to a chemo fanny pack and told to stay out of the cold as a side effect, I’d be in NYC demonstrating.   So this is my form of demonstration instead.

The man was an entrepreneur practicing capitalism — you buy in bulk and you sell individually at a profit — except in this case, only the tobacco industry is allowed to make the profit, not an individual.  So Mr. Garner was arrested by the police, who then use what the police department had already deemed an unacceptable move — the choke hold.  Why?  The guy was unarmed, he was not threatening anyone.  Oh!  I know, he was big and he was black — so I guess that must have been perceived as a threat right there.  And even when they have him down on the ground and he says he can’t breathe, they still hold him down! And killed him. And, unlike Ferguson where there were conflicting witness reports, THIS WAS ALL ON TAPE!!!  If this tape doesn’t ‘hold up in court’ then what’s the point of putting recorders on police lapels?

Furthermore — and this might just be my ignorance coming out — why did this even need a Grand Jury, why didn’t it just go to trial directly?  There was clearly a death, evidence and the medical examiner had already ruled it a homocide.  How did it not go to trial with or without a Grand Jury?  It truly boggles the mind.

It’s really, REALLY not fair or right!  My heart goes out to the Garner family, the Brown family, the Sean Bell family, all the other families of black men who have been killed or harassed unfairly by police.  And my heart goes out to all young black men who face this danger daily.

Meanwhile, my health is good.  I had no side effects from the chemo this week (other than tingling in the fingers if I touch something cold, even from the refrigerator)  — which to me is remarkable.  No nausea, no pain, energy to read and write and watch movies as a couch potato enjoying multiple servings of popcorn, hot chocolate, and baked apples.  My life continues to be full, rich and happy.  I wish I could say the same for the Eric Garner family and others like his.

Love to all,

Jane

Here’s a link to the video footage of the incident. Please be aware it is disturbing:  eric garner video