There was a rally today. A rally, a protest. Something that I am slowly getting used to seeing in Toronto, (coming from Calgary, protests are rare, call it socialization call it whatever you like but I think the ability to normalize not getting angry towards social authorities EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC)... but I digress. This rally was about the death of an 18 year old black man who died close to my university from being beat up by the cops. Although the reason why he was pulled over in the first place are blurred, even if the boy was the one who did wrong in the first place, maybe he should've been arrested, NOT CHASED DOWN, then BEAT DOWN, then Killed. Events like these baffle me, makes me ANGRY, sad. I wanted to go to the rally really bad. I woke up late, I really had to do some grocery shopping though and since I always walk to the grocery store rain or shine, even if it's a good 20 blocks from my place lol.
As I was walking to go to the grocery store, I saw a group of people (mostly all black, but I really appreciated the non-black faces I saw marching down) with signs and flowers making noise, and marching. God had somehow timed my departure from my house to the intersection really well, because I literally had to go through the crowd to get to the grocery spot. My heart cringed. I was really moved, I was sooo close to tears. I was fighting my impulse to want to put up my fist. (now looking back, I wish I didn't fight it). It hurt.
I did not know this boy, but I think some of his immediate family went to my church. For readers who don't know me, I love all people, purple, yellow, and blue. I don't care if the boy was purple, and the cops orange, beating up a human being to death is unacceptable. I will always have a special extra soft spot for black people, and I will openly admit that.
I got MAD LOVE for my people. and that is the HONEST TRUTH.
On my way back from the groceries in taxi, I saw another huge group still walking down and marching, and protesting. The cab-driver saw them and mumbled something along the lines of they should not be protesting here, it's pointless, they should go to city hall or something. I paused. Then I said something along the lines of if they were to go to city hall, there would be HEAVIER policing. Is that what they need? Is that necessary to get the world to look at this issue and actually give a shit?
I don't know.
I give a shit. I don't know what to do, because I really question the validity of rallies. Either that or I'm not accustomed to seeing them work, outside of the political textbooked accounts of historical accounts such as in the civil rights movement. But even then, these events happened in the US. I don't have any historical accounts of rallies in the Canadian context, especially rallies revolving the politics of race in Canada. If we were to then Aboriginals would need to be HIGH up there first and foremost, then everyone else (blacks, Asians, migrant workers ect..) would follow.
But I really want to do SOMETHING.
AAAGGGHHHH maybe I should've just turned around and gone to the rally.
At least it would've been a start.
...
STRANGE FRUIT.
