Cops kill another 13-yr-old…that is the real issue

Commentary by Black Kos editor JoanMar

We — each jack one in every of us on this website — all know that there was not an opportunity in hell that police departments across the nation can be defunded. It was by no means, ever going to occur.

From President Biden’s 2022 SOTU address:  

We must always all agree: The reply is to not Defund the police. The reply is to FUND the police with the sources and coaching they should defend our communities.

On condition that undeniable fact, why do you suppose that Republican candidates, the mainstream media, and a few Democrats spend a lot cash, power, and time speaking concerning the slogan itself and never the anguish that gave delivery to it?

I’ll hazard a guess right here: might or not it’s as a result of they’ve little interest in attacking the actual downside? Whacking at a phantom concern attracts everyone’s consideration from the actually hundreds of useless our bodies, the grieving hearts, the damaged/misplaced goals, and the terrorized communities left within the wake of police murders.

Within the meantime, whereas our backs had been turned, cops killed one other 34 people since the beginning of the month.

Cops killed 34 folks since June 1, 2022.

Within the 166 days of 2022, cops killed 484 folks.

There have been 4 days to date in 2022 when police didn’t kill folks within the USA.

They claimed that he rammed a police car in an try to run over the officers. Lies and extra rattling lies. A young person is in a automotive with different youngsters, cops cornered them; in making an attempt to get away, the automotive barely bumps the cops’ car when trigger-happy Officer Stephen Ramos shoots into the automotive hitting Andre. This is similar officer Stephen Ramos who shot and killed a 57-year-old man within the throes of psychological misery simply final yr. Two years in uniform and two killings. What was he nonetheless doing on the pressure?

When police automobiles approached the automotive, pushed by Andre and carrying two different teenagers, he reversed right into a residential driveway, Merritt stated, refuting an earlier account from police that the teenager reversed his automotive right into a police car. //

The teenager was “very apologetic,” the legal professional stated. “It was all ‘sure sir, no sir, and I’ve been hit, sir,’” he stated. //

Lynda Espinoza, Andre’s mom, said police took five days to contact her concerning the taking pictures regardless of having her contact data.

In no different “developed” nation on this planet, and in only a few “underdeveloped” ones, are legislation enforcement officers allowed to kill and maim their residents on the similar price because the US of A. However certain, let’s proceed to kick up rumpus a couple of slogan, even one as questionable as #DefundThePolice. I’m certain it means so much to little Andre and his grieving mom.

Relaxation in peace, Little Man. We name your title. Our condolences to Ms. Lynda Espinoza who’s now grieving the homicide of two youngsters, each because of gun violence. It’s one other damning indictment of this nation {that a} mom is compelled to undergo this sort of completely preventable heartache.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Information spherical up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From enslavement to the “Black tax,” Black folks have been requested to pay for freedom for a lot too lengthy. vox: Juneteenth merch is American consumerism at its most crass

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You possibly can argue that Juneteenth, which acknowledges the day when information of their freedom lastly reached the final enslaved individuals in 1865, made its most distinguished mainstream look in 2020. Following the summer time’s antiracism demonstrations, the vacation was infused with a brand new stage of significance. A number of distinguished companies — together with Nike, Twitter, and Goal — made Juneteenth an organization vacation in an try to push ahead antiracist insurance policies.

Quickly, municipalities moved to codify the vacation. Final yr, a decades-long fight to make Juneteenth a national holiday was gained, underscoring how the circumstances of delayed freedom greater than a century in the past stay related at present. Incorporating the legacy of Juneteenth would, the pondering went, bolster the historical past of Black Individuals whereas highlighting the disparities we nonetheless face.

“Juneteenth reminds us that freedom, as a lived expertise, remains to be not shared equally. However additionally it is an observance of resilience in a centuries-old journey,” reporter Audra D.S. Burch wrote within the New York Instances. “It’s Black pleasure and Black hope and the safety of Black hearts and Black celebration within the very streets the place demonstrators have shouted the names of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks.”

Black individuals are certainly affected by America at present. The nation’s capitalist system isn’t any small tormentor, exerting its penalties by excessive poverty charges, a militarized police pressure, and so many different by-product buildings we come into contact with every day. That fact is why Black celebrations are sacred. It’s how we commemorate our historical past. And it’s why freedom, for us, is difficult. We’re celebrating a milestone of our ancestors whilst we acknowledge a actuality we don’t absolutely have.

That’s why it’s so galling to see companies and companies dig their nails into Juneteenth as if it’s a development and never a day of reverence for freedom’s complexities.

The commercialization of the vacation has already begun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bottoms, the previous mayor of Atlanta, will function the brand new director of the White Home Workplace of Public Engagement. The Grio: Biden taps Keisha Lance Bottoms for White House job

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keisha Lance Bottoms has been employed by the Biden administration to function its subsequent director of the White Home Workplace of Public Engagement. The previous mayor of Atlanta, Georgia–who was additionally within the working to be Biden’s vice chairman–will change the senior-level position left vacant by former director, Cedric Richmond.

President Joe Biden has needed Bottoms in his administration since he was on the marketing campaign path, and now his want has lastly been granted. As the previous mayor of one of many nation’s largest economies, Bottoms brings expertise in forward-facing politics.

Even after Biden selected Vice President Kamala Harris as his working mate over Bottoms, the ex-mayor remained on the Biden transition crew’s shortlist for a task within the administration when it was laying the groundwork for its now historically-diverse White Home.

Bottoms was initially provided a place as administrator of the Small Enterprise Administration (SBA), however she finally turned down the position. A supply informed theGrio that the supply was seen as a slight to Bottoms, who was the chief of a metropolis that’s residence to a few of the largest Fortune 500 firms within the nation. Whereas she was anticipated to hunt a second time period, Bottoms shocked many when she introduced that she wouldn’t search reelection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many international locations in southern Africa wish to unload large stockpiles of ivory to fund conservation, regardless that the commerce is banned. foreign Policy: The Brewing Battle Over Africa’s Ivory

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fourteen years for the reason that final authorized industrial sale of ivory, southern African international locations are lobbying to promote tons of tusks held in storage. As these states submit proposals to the United Nations Conference on Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) summit in November, the destiny of African ivory is caught within the crosshairs of animal rights teams and states burdened with pricey stockpiles.

Southern Africa’s states—these international locations in Africa with elephant populations—had hoped to current a united African place on the difficulty of the ivory commerce at CITES, which can happen on the U.N. local weather change convention in Panama. Though the UK has simply carried out the Ivory Act, punishing unlawful or undocumented gross sales with a possible wonderful of as much as 250,000 kilos (or round $314,000), the African continent is deeply divided over whether or not all elephants ought to be labeled in CITES Appendix I, which lists endangered species and vegetation. At the moment, some African and Asian elephants are listed in Appendix I, which suggests industrial commerce is strictly prohibited. Beneath Appendix II, the commerce of sure species is allowed in distinctive circumstances, and pachyderms from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe at present fall beneath this class due to their massive inhabitants. Appendix II permits restricted worldwide commerce in animals that aren’t essentially threatened with extinction.

The African Elephant Coalition (AEC), made up of a minimum of 30 East and West African international locations that oppose ivory gross sales, desires all tusker commerce stopped, whereas Southern African Development Community (SADC) international locations, the place a lot of the world’s elephants roam, advocate for the suitable to promote their ivory.

The talk comes towards a backdrop of concerted conservation efforts meant to guard weak elephant populations, which nonetheless look like declining during the last decade. However conservation packages are pricey, particularly for international locations like Zimbabwe, which is battling triple-digit inflation, and Namibia, tormented by a contracting financial system because of persistent drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. Southern African international locations are in search of help for a one-off sale of stockpiles collected by pure elephant deaths and seizures from poachers.

Since 1989, the CITES ban on worldwide industrial ivory commerce requires member states to maintain stockpiles as a method of monitoring commerce. Nonetheless, some poorer states are rising weary of CITES’s requirement. Fulton Mangwanya, director-general of Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Administration Authority (ZimParks), believes auctioning tusks will flood the market, which can in flip cut back poaching. “Demand is excessive, and it’s inflicting these unlawful actions,” he stated. “They need to enable the authorized sale of ivory in order that we promote and saturate the market in order that nobody goes poaching.”

Promoting may even assist cut back the prices of managing a stockpile that requires $160,000 yearly for safety monitoring and different working bills, Mangwanya stated.

Nonetheless, Kenya, one of many AEC international locations advocating towards the African Elephant Coalition, habitually burns its stockpiles and argues that authorized commerce in ivory, even a one-off public sale, would result in elevated poaching. John Scanlon, CEO of the Elephant Safety Initiative, expressed the identical fears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This comes on account of various components, like business placement, the report reveals. The Root: Study Shows Older Black Adults Are Three Times More Likely To Die of Air Pollution Than White Adults

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A brand new research reveals that older Black adults are thrice extra prone to die of air air pollution than white adults. The report is a part of a knowledge evaluation launched this month by Industrial Economics, a consulting agency commissioned by the Environmental Protection Fund.

Environmental Safety Company and U.S. census information was analyzed in addition to well being and mortality charges of those that obtain Medicare. As well as, the report included peer-reviewed research on aged adults’ publicity to air pollution which decided who’s essentially the most weak and by how a lot.

What it revealed was that folks of shade had been in danger essentially the most when the U.S. elder inhabitants (65 and older) was examined. Specialists concluded the research exhibits how race performs a vital position relating to who’s uncovered to air air pollution. Trade placement can also be very important and usually have an effect on marginalized neighborhoods.

Environmental Protection Fund senior well being scientist Ananya Roy notes this harrowing discrepancy. “This shines a lightweight on the cumulative affect of historic discriminatory insurance policies the place a whole lot of massive African American (or) Black populations reside,” she stated. “The burden borne by Black Individuals per capita is admittedly, actually disproportionate,” stated Roy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An increase in hate crimes and anti-Black vitriol sparked a 58 % enhance in Black folks buying firearms in 2020. The spike appears to have continued. NBC: Why more Black people are looking for safety in gun ownership

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days after a white man shot and killed 10 Black folks in Buffalo final month, Michael Moody reversed his fascinated by possessing a firearm. He had watched the aftermath of the carnage on the information, the anguish of the victims’ households, and determined he “wanted a gun. Wanted, not needed,” he stated.

After discussing it along with his spouse, Moody stated he left his residence in suburban Washington to purchase a weapon. He rapidly realized he wasn’t alone. He stated he was “surprised” on the variety of Black folks standing in line on the gun store in Maryland to make an analogous buy.

Via chatting with others whereas ready, Moody stated he realized “a whole lot of us have the identical thought. It’s getting dangerous when somebody particularly targets Black folks to shoot. We now have to be ready to battle again. And you may’t survive bringing a knife to a gunfight.”

Moody’s sentiments characterize one motive the sale of weapons to Black Individuals rose 58 % in 2020 — the yr George Floyd was murdered by a Minnesota police officer, sparking a nationwide social justice motion — in line with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms commerce affiliation. It was the best bump in gun gross sales of any ethnic group that yr.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Expertise the revolutionary story by unique footage and never-before-seen interviews. Deadspin: Introducing After Jackie, The HISTORY Channel’s Original Documentary Celebrating The Legacy Of Jackie Robinson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2022 marks the seventy fifth anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s outstanding integration of Main League Baseball. To rejoice the barrier-breaking event, The HISTORY Channel is releasing After Jackie, an unique documentary that delves deep into the affect of Robinson and the large obstacles he confronted alongside the best way – preventing towards segregation, racial discrimination, and standing up for African Individuals all over the place.

The documentary additionally explores the untold tales of Invoice White, Curt Flood, and Corridor of Famer, Bob Gibson, who picked up the place Jackie left off advancing the standing of Black gamers on and off the sphere, additional integrating league rosters, and forcing the game of baseball, and nation, to vary for the higher.

The movie options new and uncommon interviews with White and Gibson alongside former and present gamers like CC Sabathia, Mookie Betts, Ken Griffey Jr., and Joe Torre, in addition to famend sports activities journalists. Creators tapped MLB’s expansive media archive to showcase unique, rarely-seen footage of Robinson and his fellow trailblazers. After Jackie is produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter from UNINTERRUPTED, in addition to Stanley Nelson, and director Andre Gaines in affiliation with Main League Baseball and collaboration with The Jackie Robinson Basis.

The 2-hour documentary premieres Saturday, June 18th at 8PM ET/PT. Watch the trailer under.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congress is planning to throw more cash at college “safety” as a part of the bipartisan gun deal. The New Republic: Military-Grade Surveillance in Schools Won’t Stop the Next Mass Shooting, but It Will Increase the Policing of Black Students

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gun management in America doesn’t simply transfer slowly, it strikes backward. After faculty shootings, gun gross sales solely enhance, whereas right-wing politicians name for extra weapons, cameras, and intense safety measures in colleges. And because the U.S. Senate reportedly comes near a deal to maneuver ahead on modest gun laws, it seems nationwide Democrats are additionally able to help throwing cash at colleges to supposedly improve their safety. However a better take a look at these faculty safety units—largely untested applied sciences developed for the army and conventional policing—reveal they’ve taken on an virtually talismanic energy, promising to ward away evil from youngsters, with minimal proof to again up their claims.

At some point after ​​the Robb Elementary College taking pictures in Uvalde, Texas, the place a gunman killed 19 college students and two academics, Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference in Uvalde Excessive College auditorium, promising to double down on the state’s “faculty hardening” plans, handed in 2019 after a 2018 school shooting close to Houston that killed 10. The payments, which supplied $100 million in funding for safety enhancements akin to CCTV cameras and bulletproof glass, “hardened colleges, made them safer, [and] addressed psychological well being,” Abbott stated, earlier than recommitting to rising the tempo of hardening colleges.

Astonishing although it’s to tout the effectiveness of a invoice that later failed to forestall the deaths of 19 youngsters, Abbott’s method has the near-total support of the GOP, each in Washington and in state legislatures across the country: make colleges much less like colleges and extra like high-security services. There’s no common definition for the measures, however typically talking, “hardening” colleges is an assortment of costly adjustments meant to reduce losses within the occasion of a taking pictures: proscribing entry to a single entry level; monitoring who comes and goes; putting in steel detectors, cameras, cops, and so forth. However slightly than defending youngsters from mass shootings, these measures as an alternative add additional surveillance and policing focused at Black and brown college students.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY PORCH

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.