By Lorenzo Clemons
Growing up in our household as a young person you could not say the word lie. My mother said it was a curse word and children were not allowed to use such a word in any conversation, so as a substitute we would always say someone was “telling a story”.
Telling a story was not always meant to describe a lie or a liar, but the message was delivered to say the person was bordering on disbelief or “tall telling”, which as an adult amounts to a lie.
Each morning I sneak up on the two major Chicago newspapers to read the stories of the previous night. There is always a breaking news story that was too late for the evening news but in time for the morning papers.
It never ceases to amaze me these days that someone has been shot and the only thing at that point is to find if they survived and how many others have been wounded in the shooting. Depending on who has done the shooting I can predict the outrage, the protest or the loud conversation by near and dear about how unjustified the shooting was.
Usually a person described as the grieving mother falls in the arms of a near by relative or friends screaming “why did they have to do this to my baby”? I guess in some cases the mother and the support group fail to recognize how over the years little darling boy was part of the damage and danger perpetrated on the community.
Along with the news, you look to see if it was law enforcement related. You know the protest will start, if the police shot the person. The fact that there have been so many incidents of apparent police wrong doing that causes the death of an individual the outcry for justice is palatable. However is the outcry truly based on truth of that incident or the lumping of all incidents of police involved shootings?
Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, and All Lives Matter are now adorned on chest wearing T’s all over the country. These displays only seem to confuse and not defuse the emotions or seek real truth. The truth of the matter is, the truth matters.
So, here are some truths as I see them.
Policing is a hard job, as much as people want to beat up on the police, they still call for police assistance in an emergency. This is as it should be because of the oath that is sworn to by police on day one, and that is to honor human life as well as the Social Contract.
Truth of the matter is it is not always done that way. There has been an arrogance on the part of some officers that goes beyond the oath and snakes its way into “I have all the power to do what I want and you citizens cant do anything about it.” What this arrogance does is make it hard on the majority of officers who go to work everyday honor the oath and the commitment of the job.
When the trust of the people and the Social Contract is violated that officer must be dealt with swiftly and purposely.
So the community wants all police personnel to be placed in the same bad bag, yet will shout to the high heaven when we call violent young people “thugs”, when those who shoot and kill indiscriminately in the community are nothing but “thugs”!
The community losses me when it fails to recognize the level of destruction that is being placed through non-caring violent individuals who shot to kill based on something as simple as “mean mugging” (looking at me wrong).
As you work to point out how inefficient policing is in the community, you must point out the devastation of a group of thugs taking a 9-year old boy into an alley to assassinate because of the life style of the parents.
Truth of the matter is, the truth matters.
How uncaring and fake has our discussion become as we try to hold on to a position of stupidity? How can I stand on any moral ground when I know the shooters and where they live but because I somehow think I am helping the police I will not tell or cooperate with an investigation?
Grandfather get shot sitting in his living room, two college angels get shot attending a party, little baby who has not had a chance to experience a 1st birthday get shot being a baby, and a 9 year old boy shot in the head and you wish for me to make allowance or excuses, absolutely not!
I used to have a saying “that no young person ever has been shot, sitting and learning in the library”, I am not so sure that is true these days.
Truth of the matter is, the truth matters.
Don’t blame this mess on teachers, when you do not attend any meetings related to your child’s education. Don’t blame the politician who has been there for years doing nothing as you continue to vote for their nothingness or do not vote at all. Don’t blame living conditions when you refuse to speak to your neighbor or your neighbor refuses honest conversation with you. Don’t blame the media when you allow yourself and your children to watch nonsense TV programs day in and day out (can’t miss Scandal). Don’t blame the police when there is a new love affair with the gun, so to make you equal to danger you carry and have no fear of shooting to even the score. Don’t blame life when you refuse to believe in ethics or a higher power that may guide you.
As I write this I am sure all the bad names I have been called in the past will resurface and double but I am not swayed by those terms anymore. I am tired of reading about some young person being killed because everything matters but the truth.
Truth of the matter is, the truth matters.
Mr. Clemons, first I want to say I love the way you pepper your article with your tagline: “Truth of the matter is, the truth matters.” Well done, and it definitely sticks in the mind.
That aside, I’m most certainly feeling your thoughts/opinions. I’m ALWAYS sad when I read about a person passing–young or old–and I’m not, in the least, any less sadder when it’s someone “in the life” who has been murdered, but I do believe that (as you mention) we do have to acknowledge that many who are being murdered are a part of the problem. Whether they are part of the problem due to situations/environment/upbringing is important. In regard to police shootings/killings, I, also, agree with you that there are many factors that play into any shooting, whether police-related or not, and that all fingers are not to be pointed at the alleged “offensive” component of the situation. While not any less sadder, it is important when it comes to figuring out the solution for the long term. I believe you hit many–if not all–of the main factors. Again, well done.
“Truth of the matter is, the truth matters.”
P.S. We weren’t allowed to say “lie” either, so it’s funny to see it in writing. (Also, we weren’t allowed to say “Funk” in the The Sequence’s “Funk You Up,” and had to say “Bunk you up.” Unless, of course, Ma wasn’t at home. Hilarious : )