R.I.P Michael, Trayvon Martin, and Oscar Grant 

   
           As we all know, these were all young black men, killed and executed by an white officer. Michael Brown was just shot and killed yesterday in Ferguson, MO. We do not know the full story yet. But the damage that they are doing in Ferguson is unnecessary, Michael would not want all that to happen, he just wants JUSTICE ! The breaking in stores and stealing is most definitely unnecessary. Like what is all this chaos solving - nothing! Just showing that black people are acting crazy. No justice will be served just because you burned down QuikTrip, no justice will be served just because you broke into a beauty supply and stole all the weave. And a lot of those stores were owned by blacks, so tell me what are you accomplishing in doing those things. Nothing, right. 

                    Now, not too many people know about Oscar Grant. Here is the story:

Oscar Grant III was fatally shot by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California, United States, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009.Responding to reports of a fight on a crowded Bay Area Rapid Transit train returning from San Francisco, BART Police officers detained Grant and several other passengers on the platform at the Fruitvale BART Station. Officer Johannes Mehserle and another officer were restraining Grant, who was lying face down and allegedly resisting arrest. Officer Mehserle stood and, according to his attorney, said: "Get back, I'm gonna Tase him."Then Mehserle drew his gun and shot Grant once in the back. During his court testimony, Mehserle said that Grant then exclaimed, "You shot me!" Grant was unarmed; he was pronounced dead the next morning at Highland Hospital in Oakland.

                  The shooting has been variously labeled an involuntary manslaughter and a summary execution. On January 30, 2010, Alameda County prosecutors charged Mehserle with murder for the shooting. He resigned his position and pleaded not guilty. The trial began on June 10, 2010. Michael Rains, Mehserle's criminal defense attorney, argued that Mehserle mistakenly shot Grant with his pistol, intending to use his Taser when he saw Grant reaching for his waistband.Pretrial filings argue that his client did not commit first-degree murder and asked a Los Angeles judge to instruct the jury to limit its deliberations to either second-degree murder or acquittal.

On July 8, 2010, the jury returned its verdict: Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter.Initial protests against the ruling were peacefully organized; looting, arson, destruction of property, and small riots broke out after dark. Nearly 80 people were eventually arrested.
                 

                                There is now a movie called "Fruitvale Station" . And it is the best movie in the world, and guess what. I actually cried.







                                                              - Keva Destiny Denise Buckner