Podcast: "I Feel Snitty"
Episode 7: "Blue Crimes Matter"
Premiere Date: 8/27/19
Length: 12:27 (2,310 words)
Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/blue-crimes-matter/
Transcript:
Welcome to I Feel Snitty, episode 7, entitled, “Blue Crimes Matter.” I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki. As the episode title should intimate, I’ll be talking about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. This was prompted by the recent decision of New York Police Department Commissioner James P. O’Neill firing Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who killed an unarmed black man by the name of Eric Garner via an illegal chokehold 5 years ago. As has been seen and heard on video countless times, Garner continually said, “I can’t breathe,” but to no avail.
When hearing news of the firing, my first thought was this: When’s the last time you heard about a black man choking and killing an unarmed white police officer and only getting fired from his job 5 years later as a result? Take your time. I have a feeling even the youngest among us would die before coming up with an accurate answer. Seriously, think about that for a moment. Imagine an unarmed white police officer being killed by a chokehold, after repeatedly declaring he couldn’t breathe. Now imagine the perpetrator being a black man, who doesn’t get charged for any crimes and is allowed to keep his job for an additional 5 years before ultimately getting fired. Like I said, it would never happen.
Secondly, when listening to Mr. O’Neill’s press conference, while he handled 95% of the proceedings in a very professional, nonpartisan manner, there was one remark of his which stood out among all the others to me. At one point, he said, “If I were still a uniformed cop, I’d probably be mad at me today.”
Why? Why is it wrong to hold authority figures to the same legal standards as everyone else? Of what point is any law if even a small percentage of the population isn’t required to abide by it? How can we have a just society if those we call on to protect the law don’t follow the law themselves?
Many in the GOP have decided to run with this idea that questioning a police officer’s judgment and/or holding him or her to the same standards as everyone else makes one anti-cop. They’ve, somewhat effectively unfortunately, created this us-vs.-them mentality when it comes to the police and alleged criminals. This reminds me of their mindset when it comes to our country. If a person so much as speaks out about improving our healthcare system, that makes the person anti-American, because America apparently has the greatest healthcare system in the world, facts be damned. In the lead up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we were told, “You’re either with us or you’re against us; you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists.” This us-vs.-them mentality is false. It is not logical. It’s a fallacy known as the false dilemma, which presents only two options, when others exist. Just because one supports holding police officers accountable doesn’t make them anti-cop. Just because a person believes an unarmed civilian posing no threat shouldn’t have been killed by an officer doesn’t make them anti-police. If being pro-law makes a person anti-cop, then some things need to change.
Now I will say while I think it’s wrong to ignore criminal actions taken by police and cast them all as good people, I also think it’s unfair to paint them with a broad brush in the other direction. Just because a particular company or profession contains some bad White Castle burgers doesn’t mean they all do. I realize that may have been a tad redundant, but hopefully you get my point. Whether we see a positive or negative story about a person on the job, that doesn’t mean every such worker is like him or her. Generally speaking, I have a great deal of admiration and respect for law enforcement; the responsibilities they hold; the risks they undertake; in an attempt to keep their communities safe. It’s a dangerous job, arguably the most dangerous in the country, and more times than not, I at least want to believe they’re moral and just. Having said that, though, if and when a cop breaks the law, he or she should have to face the consequences like anyone else. Just because a person’s job may be more dangerous and risky than the vast majority of others, that doesn’t give him or her a license to kill. It shouldn’t, anyway.
That brings me to the Black Lives Matter movement. It was created in response to police brutality against blacks, typically unarmed black men. This prompted athletes like Colin Kaepernick to take a knee during the national anthem as a sign of protest. It prompted increasing calls to pass legislation to reform our justice system, and in doing that, attempted to break the cycle of systemic racism in this country. It inspired books, and later movies, like The Hate U Give. By the way, if you haven’t seen that, I highly recommend you do so right after listening to this podcast. I’m typically not moved to tears by cinema, but this one got to me. The word powerful doesn’t do it proper justice.
Like all social movements, there have been some hits and misses with Black Lives Matter. Body cameras on law enforcement officials have become more commonplace. The criminal-justice-reform bill, the First Step Act, was passed by Congress and signed by Donald Trump. Yup, that’s the only positive accomplishment of his first and hopefully last term. One ongoing problem for the Black Lives Matter movement, however, has been with regard to my white brothers and sisters misunderstanding it. Go ahead, go to a Trump rally and shout, “Black Lives Matter.” I can bet you almost anything you’ll hear, “All Lives Matter” or “Blue Lives Matter” in response. Both of these slogans were in response to “Black Lives Matter,” because many white people thought blacks were essentially saying, “Only Black Lives Matter,” which made them want to retort, “Hey, my life matters too! All Lives Matter!” What they failed to see and realize was that the Black Lives Matter movement wasn’t saying “Only Black Lives Matter;” they were saying, “Black Lives Matter Too.” So yes, all lives do in fact matter, but by saying Black Lives Matter, I’m not saying all lives don’t matter; I’m simply saying blacks have felt like their lives have been seen and treated as of less value than others, so like with all others, Black Lives Matter Too.
This next bit goes out to my fellow whites out there. Imagine if the tables were reversed. Think about how you would feel if fellow whites, unarmed mind you, were continually getting shot and killed by police officers. Think about getting regularly pulled over by cops just because of the color of your skin. Think about being followed around a grocery store because your skin tone makes you seem suspicious in the eyes of others. Think about laws not being equal to you and those of different skin colors. Think about politicians constantly trying to make voting more difficult for you. I’m just scratching the surface here, but how would all of that make you feel? Honestly? Would you feel as though your life didn’t seem to matter to many in this country, especially authority figures? Would you not be prompted to stand up and say, “Hey, my life matters too!” and seek changes to make that goal a reality? Whenever you read or hear a story about the Black Lives Matter movement, I implore you to try and empathize as much as you possibly can, so that you can garner a greater understanding of what they’ve had to deal with for generations, and be more driven to fight alongside them. The only time we’ll be able to shout to the masses that all lives matter is if and when black lives matter.
From Snark to Finish (two-part)
Cop shoots marathon runner as he crosses the finish line
January 21, 2015
Sadly, the New York City Marathon was cut short this year when David Nairobi of Kenya was tragically shot and killed by Sheriff Daniel Shihtferbrains as he crossed the finish line to win the race.
When asked to comment about the event, Sheriff Shihtferbrains said, "The guy was coming right at me, really fast too! His arms were violently swinging back and forth when he was running! Not only that, but he charged right through this banner looking deal, which I think was made of steel or bricks or something! In any case, I had no choice. The man appeared to be on a mission, like he was seriously going for something and nothing was going to stop him! I mean, what was I supposed to do, you know? Fortunately, I got that first one, because for whatever reason, tons more were about to follow him. After I shot him, though, and I'm still not sure why this happened, but everyone started running away from me. They should have been walking right up to me and thanking me. I mean, who knows how many lives I saved that day?"
In response to the event and the sheriff's comments, the New York Police Department union released a statement, saying, "We've yet to determine whether or not Mr. Nairobi stole a pack of chewing gum from a gas station when he was 7-years-old or whether or not he ever consumed any wine while in church. Due to all of these questions surrounding a black man's character, I mean, Mr. Nairobi's character, and the fact this was caught on tape with millions of witnesses, we believe Sheriff Shihterferbrains won't face any charges."
Conservatives start the "All Lives Sort Of Matter" movement
September 28, 2015
In response to the Black Lives Matter movement gaining steam across the country, conservative anti-BLM activists have decided to start their own movement, called All Lives Sort Of Matter. Founder of the movement, Billy-Bob Redneck of Hickman, Nebraska, released the following statement on the group's homepage, which can be found at http://www.youmightbeahillbillyif.com:
"How dare them colored folk tell the world that their lives matter! What about everyone else? Don't all of our lives sort of matter at times? I mean, the black folk's lives mattered when they were pickin' cotton! Women's lives matter when the house gets messy after another one of those Jeff Foxworthy-used-to-be-funny bashes! Mexican lives matter when I shoot another hole in the roof with one of my twelve unlicensed guns named after the seven dwarfs! Them Indians' lives mattered until we took from them what was rightly ours back in the day - the United States of America! Homo people's lives matter to Satan! So, you see? All lives sort of matter!"
Shortly after Mr. Redneck made the announcement, the Republican National Committee (RNC) responded with this:
"While we wouldn't have publicly used some of the terminology chosen by Mr. Redneck in his statement, we're fully on board with he and the All Lives Sort Of Matter movement. Women's lives matter, but only about 79% of men's lives. Poor people's lives matter far less than the rich, but they still probably matter to someone out there in the world, and that's kind of the gist of this movement: No matter how little we at the RNC care about anyone that doesn't classify themselves as a straight, rich, white, Christian man, all lives matter to at least one person."
Black Lives Matter has since posted the following message on their homepage:
"All Lives Sort Of Matter? To us, that might as well read No Lives Really Matter, which is why we started the Black Lives Matter movement in the first place - because we felt our lives mattered far less than others in this country, and this new movement further proves our point."
In other news, Mike Huckabee has started a movement of his own, called, No Lives Matter Other Than Jesus', Well, And Kim Davis'.
That’s about all for today’s episode. I’ll see you again next week. Until then, check me out on PodBean, Twitter, Amazon, and Blogpsot. This has been I Feel Snitty with Craig Rozniecki. I now leave you with a poem I wrote, entitled, “Black Lives Matter.”
Black Lives Matter
Don't wear a hoodie,
Even if it's raining,
Always bring an umbrella,
Even though no one else does,
Don't wear baggy pants,
Where guns can be lodged,
Even though that's a myth,
So says Snopes.com,
Don't put your hands in your pockets,
Even when it's cold and snowing,
Don't wear a coat either,
That might worry people too,
Don't wear anything nice,
That may make people wonder,
"Did he rob a store?"
"Is that what he did with welfare?"
Don't drive a nice car,
As that will get the lights flashing,
"Are you sure this is your vehicle?"
"I'm going to need to see license and registration,"
Don't listen to rap,
For it will just lead to violence,
Just like listening to fairy tales,
They always lead to happiness,
Don't go out at night,
Don't go out during the day,
Don't pay with cash,
Don't act overly friendly,
Blindly accept that we're all equals,
That this is a post-racial society,
Due to one half-black president,
After we elected 43 white ones,
Still being seen as a threat,
Based on the color of one's skin,
Seeing guilt before shown evidence,
Their lives seen as less important,
Unarmed and choking,
"I can't breathe," he says,
As the nation watches,
Many unaffected,
As his heart stopped,
So too did many's empathy,
Their conscience,
Their humanity,
Punished for who they are,
Punished for what they wear,
Punished out of prejudice,
Punished out of nonsensical fear,
Black lives matter,
Just like everyone else's,
Deserving of equal rights,
Deserving of equal treatment,
It's time to rise up,
Let our voices be heard,
That cops aren't above the law,
That black lives matter.
Episode 7: "Blue Crimes Matter"
Premiere Date: 8/27/19
Length: 12:27 (2,310 words)
Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/blue-crimes-matter/
Transcript:
Welcome to I Feel Snitty, episode 7, entitled, “Blue Crimes Matter.” I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki. As the episode title should intimate, I’ll be talking about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. This was prompted by the recent decision of New York Police Department Commissioner James P. O’Neill firing Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who killed an unarmed black man by the name of Eric Garner via an illegal chokehold 5 years ago. As has been seen and heard on video countless times, Garner continually said, “I can’t breathe,” but to no avail.
When hearing news of the firing, my first thought was this: When’s the last time you heard about a black man choking and killing an unarmed white police officer and only getting fired from his job 5 years later as a result? Take your time. I have a feeling even the youngest among us would die before coming up with an accurate answer. Seriously, think about that for a moment. Imagine an unarmed white police officer being killed by a chokehold, after repeatedly declaring he couldn’t breathe. Now imagine the perpetrator being a black man, who doesn’t get charged for any crimes and is allowed to keep his job for an additional 5 years before ultimately getting fired. Like I said, it would never happen.
Secondly, when listening to Mr. O’Neill’s press conference, while he handled 95% of the proceedings in a very professional, nonpartisan manner, there was one remark of his which stood out among all the others to me. At one point, he said, “If I were still a uniformed cop, I’d probably be mad at me today.”
Why? Why is it wrong to hold authority figures to the same legal standards as everyone else? Of what point is any law if even a small percentage of the population isn’t required to abide by it? How can we have a just society if those we call on to protect the law don’t follow the law themselves?
Many in the GOP have decided to run with this idea that questioning a police officer’s judgment and/or holding him or her to the same standards as everyone else makes one anti-cop. They’ve, somewhat effectively unfortunately, created this us-vs.-them mentality when it comes to the police and alleged criminals. This reminds me of their mindset when it comes to our country. If a person so much as speaks out about improving our healthcare system, that makes the person anti-American, because America apparently has the greatest healthcare system in the world, facts be damned. In the lead up to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we were told, “You’re either with us or you’re against us; you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists.” This us-vs.-them mentality is false. It is not logical. It’s a fallacy known as the false dilemma, which presents only two options, when others exist. Just because one supports holding police officers accountable doesn’t make them anti-cop. Just because a person believes an unarmed civilian posing no threat shouldn’t have been killed by an officer doesn’t make them anti-police. If being pro-law makes a person anti-cop, then some things need to change.
Now I will say while I think it’s wrong to ignore criminal actions taken by police and cast them all as good people, I also think it’s unfair to paint them with a broad brush in the other direction. Just because a particular company or profession contains some bad White Castle burgers doesn’t mean they all do. I realize that may have been a tad redundant, but hopefully you get my point. Whether we see a positive or negative story about a person on the job, that doesn’t mean every such worker is like him or her. Generally speaking, I have a great deal of admiration and respect for law enforcement; the responsibilities they hold; the risks they undertake; in an attempt to keep their communities safe. It’s a dangerous job, arguably the most dangerous in the country, and more times than not, I at least want to believe they’re moral and just. Having said that, though, if and when a cop breaks the law, he or she should have to face the consequences like anyone else. Just because a person’s job may be more dangerous and risky than the vast majority of others, that doesn’t give him or her a license to kill. It shouldn’t, anyway.
That brings me to the Black Lives Matter movement. It was created in response to police brutality against blacks, typically unarmed black men. This prompted athletes like Colin Kaepernick to take a knee during the national anthem as a sign of protest. It prompted increasing calls to pass legislation to reform our justice system, and in doing that, attempted to break the cycle of systemic racism in this country. It inspired books, and later movies, like The Hate U Give. By the way, if you haven’t seen that, I highly recommend you do so right after listening to this podcast. I’m typically not moved to tears by cinema, but this one got to me. The word powerful doesn’t do it proper justice.
Like all social movements, there have been some hits and misses with Black Lives Matter. Body cameras on law enforcement officials have become more commonplace. The criminal-justice-reform bill, the First Step Act, was passed by Congress and signed by Donald Trump. Yup, that’s the only positive accomplishment of his first and hopefully last term. One ongoing problem for the Black Lives Matter movement, however, has been with regard to my white brothers and sisters misunderstanding it. Go ahead, go to a Trump rally and shout, “Black Lives Matter.” I can bet you almost anything you’ll hear, “All Lives Matter” or “Blue Lives Matter” in response. Both of these slogans were in response to “Black Lives Matter,” because many white people thought blacks were essentially saying, “Only Black Lives Matter,” which made them want to retort, “Hey, my life matters too! All Lives Matter!” What they failed to see and realize was that the Black Lives Matter movement wasn’t saying “Only Black Lives Matter;” they were saying, “Black Lives Matter Too.” So yes, all lives do in fact matter, but by saying Black Lives Matter, I’m not saying all lives don’t matter; I’m simply saying blacks have felt like their lives have been seen and treated as of less value than others, so like with all others, Black Lives Matter Too.
This next bit goes out to my fellow whites out there. Imagine if the tables were reversed. Think about how you would feel if fellow whites, unarmed mind you, were continually getting shot and killed by police officers. Think about getting regularly pulled over by cops just because of the color of your skin. Think about being followed around a grocery store because your skin tone makes you seem suspicious in the eyes of others. Think about laws not being equal to you and those of different skin colors. Think about politicians constantly trying to make voting more difficult for you. I’m just scratching the surface here, but how would all of that make you feel? Honestly? Would you feel as though your life didn’t seem to matter to many in this country, especially authority figures? Would you not be prompted to stand up and say, “Hey, my life matters too!” and seek changes to make that goal a reality? Whenever you read or hear a story about the Black Lives Matter movement, I implore you to try and empathize as much as you possibly can, so that you can garner a greater understanding of what they’ve had to deal with for generations, and be more driven to fight alongside them. The only time we’ll be able to shout to the masses that all lives matter is if and when black lives matter.
From Snark to Finish (two-part)
Cop shoots marathon runner as he crosses the finish line
January 21, 2015
Sadly, the New York City Marathon was cut short this year when David Nairobi of Kenya was tragically shot and killed by Sheriff Daniel Shihtferbrains as he crossed the finish line to win the race.
When asked to comment about the event, Sheriff Shihtferbrains said, "The guy was coming right at me, really fast too! His arms were violently swinging back and forth when he was running! Not only that, but he charged right through this banner looking deal, which I think was made of steel or bricks or something! In any case, I had no choice. The man appeared to be on a mission, like he was seriously going for something and nothing was going to stop him! I mean, what was I supposed to do, you know? Fortunately, I got that first one, because for whatever reason, tons more were about to follow him. After I shot him, though, and I'm still not sure why this happened, but everyone started running away from me. They should have been walking right up to me and thanking me. I mean, who knows how many lives I saved that day?"
In response to the event and the sheriff's comments, the New York Police Department union released a statement, saying, "We've yet to determine whether or not Mr. Nairobi stole a pack of chewing gum from a gas station when he was 7-years-old or whether or not he ever consumed any wine while in church. Due to all of these questions surrounding a black man's character, I mean, Mr. Nairobi's character, and the fact this was caught on tape with millions of witnesses, we believe Sheriff Shihterferbrains won't face any charges."
Conservatives start the "All Lives Sort Of Matter" movement
September 28, 2015
In response to the Black Lives Matter movement gaining steam across the country, conservative anti-BLM activists have decided to start their own movement, called All Lives Sort Of Matter. Founder of the movement, Billy-Bob Redneck of Hickman, Nebraska, released the following statement on the group's homepage, which can be found at http://www.youmightbeahillbillyif.com:
"How dare them colored folk tell the world that their lives matter! What about everyone else? Don't all of our lives sort of matter at times? I mean, the black folk's lives mattered when they were pickin' cotton! Women's lives matter when the house gets messy after another one of those Jeff Foxworthy-used-to-be-funny bashes! Mexican lives matter when I shoot another hole in the roof with one of my twelve unlicensed guns named after the seven dwarfs! Them Indians' lives mattered until we took from them what was rightly ours back in the day - the United States of America! Homo people's lives matter to Satan! So, you see? All lives sort of matter!"
Shortly after Mr. Redneck made the announcement, the Republican National Committee (RNC) responded with this:
"While we wouldn't have publicly used some of the terminology chosen by Mr. Redneck in his statement, we're fully on board with he and the All Lives Sort Of Matter movement. Women's lives matter, but only about 79% of men's lives. Poor people's lives matter far less than the rich, but they still probably matter to someone out there in the world, and that's kind of the gist of this movement: No matter how little we at the RNC care about anyone that doesn't classify themselves as a straight, rich, white, Christian man, all lives matter to at least one person."
Black Lives Matter has since posted the following message on their homepage:
"All Lives Sort Of Matter? To us, that might as well read No Lives Really Matter, which is why we started the Black Lives Matter movement in the first place - because we felt our lives mattered far less than others in this country, and this new movement further proves our point."
In other news, Mike Huckabee has started a movement of his own, called, No Lives Matter Other Than Jesus', Well, And Kim Davis'.
That’s about all for today’s episode. I’ll see you again next week. Until then, check me out on PodBean, Twitter, Amazon, and Blogpsot. This has been I Feel Snitty with Craig Rozniecki. I now leave you with a poem I wrote, entitled, “Black Lives Matter.”
Black Lives Matter
Don't wear a hoodie,
Even if it's raining,
Always bring an umbrella,
Even though no one else does,
Don't wear baggy pants,
Where guns can be lodged,
Even though that's a myth,
So says Snopes.com,
Don't put your hands in your pockets,
Even when it's cold and snowing,
Don't wear a coat either,
That might worry people too,
Don't wear anything nice,
That may make people wonder,
"Did he rob a store?"
"Is that what he did with welfare?"
Don't drive a nice car,
As that will get the lights flashing,
"Are you sure this is your vehicle?"
"I'm going to need to see license and registration,"
Don't listen to rap,
For it will just lead to violence,
Just like listening to fairy tales,
They always lead to happiness,
Don't go out at night,
Don't go out during the day,
Don't pay with cash,
Don't act overly friendly,
Blindly accept that we're all equals,
That this is a post-racial society,
Due to one half-black president,
After we elected 43 white ones,
Still being seen as a threat,
Based on the color of one's skin,
Seeing guilt before shown evidence,
Their lives seen as less important,
Unarmed and choking,
"I can't breathe," he says,
As the nation watches,
Many unaffected,
As his heart stopped,
So too did many's empathy,
Their conscience,
Their humanity,
Punished for who they are,
Punished for what they wear,
Punished out of prejudice,
Punished out of nonsensical fear,
Black lives matter,
Just like everyone else's,
Deserving of equal rights,
Deserving of equal treatment,
It's time to rise up,
Let our voices be heard,
That cops aren't above the law,
That black lives matter.
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