From the Desk of Supervisor Carson:
On Curfews & Looting: Don't Fall for the Trap
As you may have heard, the Alameda County Sheriff has issued a Curfew Order for the entire County, beginning tonight, June 1, 2020, at 8:00 pm. The Order requires all non-exempted individuals to remain indoors from 8:00 pm – 5:00 am through June 5, 2020. The Sheriff, acting under Government Code Section 8630 and Administrative Code Section 2.118 et seq., has implemented this Order in response to the civil unrest and destruction of property that has occurred in during the course of demonstrations over the weekend.
Although a vast majority of Alameda County residents have been protesting rightfully, legally, and peacefully, this Order and the destruction and looting that some have chosen to engage in are taking away from what we should be talking about: George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown,Terrance Crutcher, Oscar Grant, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, and countless other Black lives cut short by the hands of law enforcement throughout the history of this country.
We cannot lose sight of why so many of us are angry, afraid, and feeling defeated. While I do not condone violence and destruction, I fully understand the rage. I feel it, too. We have been sounding the drums, protesting, advocating, and fighting for our rights for centuries. We’ve been fighting for equality and justice in education, housing, health care, civic engagement, business; in every facet of daily life that Black Americans have been denied since the day the first Africans were brought to this country in bondage 400 years ago, forced into slavery as free labor.
We must not let this become another fleeting moment – we need to fully acknowledge the systemic racism that pervades our institutions, and we must accept nothing other than the eradication of these injustices. If we do not, there will continue to be many more George Floyds in this country. If we do not, we will continue to see pandemics disproportionately destroy Black and Brown lives. If we do not, we will continue to witness the denial of financial security and home ownership. If we do not, our young people will lose out on the educational opportunities that will help them reach their full potential. If we do not, we will continue to have our votes and our voices suppressed.
While I am hurting and frustrated, I am not giving up. However, for every moment we allow curfews and looting to fill the airwaves and divert attention, it weakens our movement and stalls our progress. Perhaps that is the idea – another way to silence our voices and make us “go away.” Don’t fall for the trap. We cannot afford to lose another life in the name of white supremacy.
Peace Not Patience.
-Keith Carson
|
