Purge

Updated on 09/02/2015

"That's why I am headed to Ferguson with this German luger

Cause I'm probably more like Nelson Mandela than Martin Luther

More like Ice T than Ice Cube, I'm a cop killer

Murder all the cops, then the cops will probably stop killin'"

Lyrics from the song, "The Purge" by- The Game

I have gotten a lot of emails about the fallen officers. However, as I was starting to write, my wife suggested that I should repost "Purge" because unfortunately it was dead on. My condolences go out to the families of all of the fallen Officers.

Posted by Sheldon Redditt on 05/11/2015

"Until they stop killing us, we should just kill every cop we see. They kill one of us, we kill two of them. That's the only way these pigs are gonna see that we are serious." Hearing such a radical statement, you would most certainly think it came from a radical extremist right? Wrong! These words were coming from the mouth of a mere 16 year young boy. NO! They came from a 16 year old BLACK BOY!  I was invited to speak to some at risk youth in Louisiana a few weeks ago and unfortunately, that was the sentiment from all of them. 

Wake Up AMERICA

AMERICA, these young men are more than sick and tired of the police killing them.  One young man told me that he has lost all hope and doesn't care if he lives or dies.  Let's just ponder that statement for a second.  At 16 years old, this young baby has given up all hope. He doesn't believe that life can get better.  Is this Sudan or America?  I asked the young men how all of the latest killings of black men make them feel.  I would say about 90% of them said that it made them want to Purge, to just go and tear shit up and kill people.  One young man asked me if I had heard the song, "Purge", by the rap artist, The Game.  I told him that I have seen the movie, "Purge" and that I know who The Game is but that I hadn't heard that particular song.  All the young men said that I should listen to the song because it's how almost all black men feel in America.  I told them that I would listen to the song.  As the lecture went on I asked the young men a series of questions.  One question I asked was how they felt when the two innocent police officers were gunned down in New York City.  Most of the young men stated either that they were happy or they didn't feel anything at all.  An overwhelming majority of them thought the officers got what they deserved.  I guess I can't say that I was stunned by this revelation due to being a former Law Enforcement Officer.  I knew that most younger people don't like cops, but as I dug deeper the boys really began to open up.  One young man stood up and said that he didn't feel sorry for the cops or their families, just like the cops don't feel sorry for our families when they murder us in cold blood. The young man went on to tell me that ALL cops are the same and the ones that aren't just go along with the bad ones. So they are just as guilty. The young man explained it like this to me.  He stated that he had 4 other siblings and that when one of them did something wrong and no one would fess up to it; his mother would punish all five of them.  Now his point was four of them are innocent but they all got punished for what one person did. He explained that it's the same way with the cops.  They see some of us doing wrong so they assume that all of us are doing wrong, so they harass all of us, not just some.  We are fed up with this, so if a cop gets killed, then good.  We stereotype them just as they have us for so many years.  So, all cops aren't bad but let's KILL them all because we don't have time to distinguish the good ones from the bad ones. 

The Oath, Protect and Serve

America our Black men are tired of being gunned down in the streets by cops.  I get so sick of seeing people take to social media every time a Black man is murdered by a cop to say, "Well, black people kill each other more than cops do.".  Do you know how stupid that sounds?  The real issue is that these young black men are being killed by the very people that took an oath to protect them.  We all should feel safe when we see a Police Officer, not the opposite.  No person in this country should wonder if this is the day that I am going to get killed by a cop.  After another hour of talking to the young men, I laid out my plan on what needs to happen between police officers and inner-city youth.  I explained that we have to start a dialogue not a monologue, where both sides are heard.  I also stated that body cameras for cops should be mandatory.  I explained to the youth that most cops are not bad, but I agree that the goods one have to hold the bad ones accountable.  The cops that cover for the bad ones ARE just as guilty.  

It's The Same Everywhere

As I left Louisiana, I listened to the song, "Purge", by The Game, on repeat.  America, our black youth are tired of injustice, they feel they have no hope and I have always believed that the most dangerous person in the World is a person with no HOPE.  They have already begun to Purge in certain cities already and I believe, No I know, it's only gonna get worse if we don't fix it.  When I returned home, I spoke to my boys about the song "Purge" and asked if they had heard it.  Most of them had and I asked them what they thought about it and whether they agreed with the lyrics.  Most of them feel like the kids in Louisiana felt, that cops are the scum of the Earth and said they weren't sad when innocent cops are killed. 

Let's End This War Before It's Too Late

America we have a problem.  In the song, The Game talks about going and killing innocent people in Beverly Hills so they could see how we feel.  He stated that America doesn't pay attention unless it is white blood being shed, so let's make them pay attention.  These young black men feel that they are at WAR and that everything is fair in war, so if they have to go and kill innocent white people for them to see that they aren't playing, so be it.  Maybe then, America will pay attention.  As one of the young men said to me, no war has ever been won without a lot of blood being shed by innocent people.  He said, the only way that a war ends is when both sides get fed up with innocent people dying and they come together and call a truce and agree that we will stop killing your people if you stop killing ours.  He explained that it's one sided now.  But let's make the killing equal on both sides, then they will listen. As I said before, a person without any hope is the most dangerous person in the World. America, these young men feel like they have no hope.  What are we gonna do about it?  If we do nothing, they are gonna PURGE.  And we all lose if that happens.  This is my truth. What's yours?

*****To book the author for a speaking engagement, contact SheldonRedditt@gmail.com or call 901-605-7717

Author's Note:  As I finished writing this post, I found out that two Officer's were shot and killed in Hattiesburg, MS, this past weekend.  I send my condolences to the families of, Officer Benjamin Deen and Officer Liquori Tate.  

Update: Today is September 2, 2015.  I am sad to report that The Purge has become even more of a reality since the time of my original posting. Lt. Joe Gliniewicz was gunned down yesterday right outside of Chicago, IL.  My condolences go out to his family and friends as well as to all of the family and friends of the Officers listed below.

Imagine A World WITHOUT Cops

Posted by ~ Sheldon Redditt on 12/24/2014

Dedicated to Officer Rafael Ramos, Officer Wenjian Liu, their families and the NYPD Officers that lost their brothers.

"NYPD can't breathe."  "Two cops just got shot in Brooklyn.... Salute the shooter."  "Mike Brown mother cryed to an every other mama an wife cryed when they was killed by the police.  So shut up."  "Those pigs got what they deserved."  These are direct quotes pulled from social media.

So, let us imagine that someone is breaking into your home, you pick up the phone and call 911.  Wait a minute!  You CAN'T call 911 because there are no cops.  What do you do?? Imagine that you are out at a supermarket and someone kidnaps your child and you pick up the phone... to call WHO?  Imagine that a man is beating a woman and you're witnessing the beating.  WHO do you pick up the phone and call?  Imagine if two rivaling gangs are shooting at each other and innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire.  You dash for your phone and call WHO?  Imagine your elderly relative lives alone, all other family members are in the same town as you and no one has heard from this family member in days!  They aren't answering your repeated phone calls; you are terrified that something has happened to them, so you frantically decide to pick up the phone but it dawns on you, WHO are you calling?  I could go on and on for days with different scenarios that could happen.  But what would YOU do, if there were no cops?

There are over 780,000 cops in America and a majority of them are great cops.  They put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.  Do we have bad cops?  Of course, we do!  Just like any company in America there are bad employees, but that doesn't make the entire company bad because they have a few bad employees.  The same way an entire company isn't blamed for a few bad employees, that same courtesy should extend to our Police Officers.  Just like in those companies, the answer is to terminate the bad employees when it's recognized.  While I realize that what some officers do may, and often does require more than a simple termination, vigilant justice is NOT the answer.

Two innocent cops lost their lives for no reason at all. These men were someone's son, husband and father.  One of them, only married two months.  Imagine the devastating loss that would suffocate you.  Imagine if someone killed your husband, son or father; just because of the job he works.  Think about that.  Your loved one gunned down, simply because of the job that they work.  Not just any job, but a job that requires you to put your life on the line every day.  A job that is the most stressful job in America.  A job where you feel you are never appreciated.  A job where you find yourself, answering, "just fine", "great" or "good",  at the end of the day when your loved one asks, how your day went.  You don't tell them the horrible truth, you say fine, every time.  Most days the things you witness are anything but fine. But alas, you get up the next morning to do it all over again.  That's what a cop goes through on a daily basis.  We are the first ones you call when you need help.  But, we are also inherently the first ones to receive blame when you don't like the way we handle giving the help, that you called for in the first place.

So many are saying, this is no different from people being gunned down for the color of their skin, but it is different.  I am in no way negating the travesty that is, being black in America, but this is different.  These men and women choose to take on a profession that is mostly thankless, but they strive to make our world better and safer.  It's unfair to the ones, which ARE many, to fear going to work because a vigilante may put a bullet in their head, while they're answering a call or worse yet, sitting at a stop light.

Imagine if one of your coworkers killed someone and in return some random person just pulls out a gun and starts killing people at your company.  They kill random people just because they work at the same company, as your coworker that killed another person.  How sick would that be, just to kill some one simply because they work at the same company?  Is that not the same thing that happened to these police officers?  They were murdered just because they worked for the NYPD.  They had absolutely nothing to do with the Eric Garner murder.  Their beliefs, thoughts and feelings about the case weren't questioned before the trigger was pulled.  I doubt that they even knew the cop that choked and killed Eric Garner.  They were killed for what?  This idiot wrote on his social media page that two pigs are gonna get their wings today.  You kill one of us, we kill two of you.  What us, was he speaking of because I am not in the us when it comes to killing innocent people.  He was a very sick individual.  I am equally sickened by many of the comments glorifying the taking of these two officers lives by this idiot.  These senseless murders fixed NOTHING.  What they did do, is widen an already massive divide and create a new one, between citizens and law enforcement.  Don't think that law enforcement officers aren't going to be quicker to pull their guns now because they fear for their lives now.  And THEY have the guns.  There has to be a better way for people to speak out and seek justice for what they feel and what they believe.  Peacefully protest, talk to your friends and to people that are different from you, outside your circle and color lines, petition for the officer that killed Eric Garner to lose his position with NYPD, but don't murder innocent people for going to work.  And don't spew hate, as that solves nothing.  Social media has been wonderful in maintaining connections and reconnecting long lost friends, but the amount of hatred that it is bringing to the forefront is frightening and disheartening.  The only thing I can suggest is to not give the negativity your energy or do speak back, but in a positive fashion.  There is a racial divide in America.  That is undeniable.  I hope in my lifetime I can see it begin to, if not close completely.  In the meantime, let's strive to uplift those that protect us and honor their position and choice to do what most won't ever do; lay their lives on the line for strangers every day.  Justice has to be for all, period.  Remember, in demanding justice, we have to give and seek justice, even for the ones that we feel are giving us no justice.  You can't want justice for one group of people and not want it for another.  THAT ISN'T JUSTICE.  This is my truth. What's yours?

  

Do Black Lives Really Matter To Anyone?

Posted by~ Sheldon Redditt on 12/05/2014

Do black lives really matter to anyone?  This is the question being asked all over the world.  I, like most Americans, am outraged by the decision of a grand jury, not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the choking death of Eric Garner.  I am equally angry about the death of Tamir Rice, the 12 year old child, whom was shot by Officer Timothy A Loehmann.  

Eric Garner Was Murdered

First, I will start with the facts in the Eric Garner case.  Eric Garner was approached by officers for allegedly selling loose cigarettes.  Stop and think about this for a second, a father of 6 and husband, lost his life over some cigarettes.  Anyone that has visited New York City knows that they sell everything, from watches to wallets, on the street.  For him to be harassed and ultimately lose his life over some cigarettes, is an absolute tragedy.  I understand that the store owner called the police because he felt that he was losing business, due to the fact that he also sold cigarettes in his store.  However, the police could and should have handled this complaint much differently.  I have read a lot of people's comments on social media suggesting, that if Mr. Garner would have simply complied with the police officer, he would still be alive.  In cases like these, we must stop trying to turn the victim into the villain.  As a former law enforcement officer, I know that we are TRAINED for situations, in which people resist arrest.  We expect that people will resist on occasion but that doesn't mean we kill them.  The choke hold that the officer used was banned by the New York Police Department.  Based on the ban alone, this officer should have been indicted, not to mention that the medical examiner ruled Mr. Garner's death a homicide.  Again, the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.  Officer Pantaleo used a choke hold that was banned and it was caught on tape.  See, you don't have to speculate what happened here because there are several videos documenting the incident.  Officer Pantaleo also had two prior lawsuits filed against him, one of which was settled by the city of New York.  The second lawsuit is on going.  Now, for the city to settle a lawsuit, you better believe there was some wrong doing on that officer's part.  And then for him to find himself in a similar situation again, less than a month later?  Officer Pantaleo should have been fired.  If the NYPD would have simply done their job in the first or even second case, Eric Garner would be alive today.  Then, there are seven other police officers that just stood by and let this happen. They are equally responsible.  Not one even attempted to stop this officer.  All of the officers had to know that it was an illegal hold.  You see, as police officers, we are trained to step in if you see a fellow officer doing something against the rules.  You step in and say, "Hey listen!  You can't do that!" or "Cool off, let me take over.".  But none of that happened.  I haven't forgotten the code that we live by as officers, but when one is doing wrong, at least one officer should have stepped in.  Officer Pantaleo should have been charged with murder.  Period!  The grand jury got it wrong! 

Tamir Rice Was Murdered

Then, there is Tamir Rice, the 12 year old child, that was shot and killed by Officer Loehmann, in Cleveland, Ohio, for waving a toy gun.  Again, I saw countless comments on social media that this cop had the right to shoot this kid because he didn't know if the gun was real or not.  It was of no consequence, that the gentleman that called in said the gun was probably a fake.  Again, police officers are trained to know what to do in EVERY situation so there was no excuse.  Do you have any idea how many times police officers are called to the scene of a suspect waving or carrying a gun and the perp lives?  You know why?  Because, they use their training properly!  This baby was shot within 2 seconds of these officers arriving on the scene.  2 seconds!  The officer claims that he told the child to put the gun down three times.  How is that possible, when he was shot within 2 seconds? The video doesn't lie.  Again, let's look at Officer Loehmann's background.  Officer Loehmann resigned from the Independence Ohio Police Department.  BEFORE they fired him, they gave him the option to resign, which he chose to do.  A direct quote from the police deputy Chief Jim Polak, described Loehmann, "as having EMOTIONAL MATURITY ISSUES and an inability to manage stress.  Officer Loehmann couldn't follow simple instructions during a firearm qualification and became weepy and distracted."  He also wrote and this is very important, "that he didn't feel that either time, nor training would be able to correct or change these deficiencies."  That came from the deputy chief.  So, tell me, why in the hell, was he ever hired by the Cleveland Police Department?  What kind of background check was done on this guy?  All they had to do was look at his personnel file.  He should have never been hired in the first place!  Now a child is dead because of an incompetent officer whom should have never been hired in the first place.  

The 10% That Stands To Shame A Whole Profession

Now, most police officers are great officers, but it's that 10% that makes every officer look bad.  Police brutality is a serious problem, especially when dealing with Black Men. The police departments around the country have to do a better job hiring officers.  And it is a must that the Cultural Diversity Training gets better.  I think and I have said this before, it should be the law, that all law enforcement officers are required to wear body cameras.  Now, of course I realize that many have the sentiment that there is no point because Eric Garner's murder was caught on tape and it did not make a difference.  But one must understand that a police officers' mentality would automatically change when he knows that everything he does is being recorded.  That hot headed police officer will hopefully think twice before he even steps the wrong way.  Officer Pantaleo did not know that he was being recorded.  Had he known, he might have thought twice before acting in the manner in which he did.  Body cameras would most definitely cut down on a lot of deaths.  We have to start making these bad cops accountable for their wrong-doings, give them a reason to think before acting and for those that still choose not to, send their asses to prison.  Thankfully President Obama is already on board with the cameras and hopefully officers will get them sooner rather than later.  People are angry and they have the right to be!  Black Lives Do MATTER.  And they should matter, not only to their families, but they should matter to everyone.  What can we do?  Let me address Black Men for a minute.  Men, we have to do better.  We have to start mentoring and talking to our young men.  We have to teach them that in order for them to be respected by anyone, we have to first respect ourselves.  We have to stop killing each other.  Pull your pants up and stop getting a million tattoos all over your body.  We have to teach them that they need to respect women and to follow the proper protocol when dealing with the police.  We have to stop this silliness, that we won't snitch when a crime is being committed within our neighborhoods. We need to be just as outraged when we kill each other.  Black life shouldn't just matter when a white person takes it, but matter equally when another Black person takes a life as well. 

Change The Future

Now let me address some of the comments about the statistics on black on black crime.  Yes, 90% of the of the homicides committed on black men are committed by other black men.  Listen that is the case with every race.  Most white homicides are committed by white people as are homicides with every other race.  People commit violent acts on this closest to them.  So, stop with that, when we are talking about police brutality.  We are getting better. The statistics show that there were 7,361 black men killed by another black man in 1991. That number dropped to 2,447 in 2011, a 67% drop.  So yes, we are doing a lot better but until that number is at 0, we still have work to do.  I had a talk with several young men yesterday about the recent events and what part they feel they can play in changing the future of this country.  I must say, I am encouraged by our youth demonstrating by peacefully protesting to make themselves heard.  This is the greatest country in the world, in that we are allowed to have freedom of speech.  We all are in this together.  Be encouraged, make yourself heard, but do it peacefully.  We can all make a difference, if we come together.  When a black man is killed unjustly, we all; Black, White, Asian and Hispanic, should be outraged.  A black life does and should matter to ALL.  This is my truth!  What's yours?