Imagine this Happening to a White Driver. You can't.

Cincinnati is bracing for riots, and why?  Another police officer realized his solemn obligation to mete out the death penalty for a traffic infraction complicated by a DWB - Driving While Black.  The Police Chief has seen the video about to be released and he says, "it's not good."  We'll all soon find out how much of an understatement that is, on a scale of 1 to British.

I was alerted by this story in Salon to a fantastic and painfully truthful tweet-storm by Jesse Williams (of Grey's Anatomy fame), in response to the Sandra Bland travesty in Texas. Beginning here, a series of two dozen tweets that read,

Some thoughts on #SandraBland & millions of Americans exhausted by paid servants destroying instead of defending lives. And those reflexively parroting weak slogans; squealing for violence & murder from behind a centuries-old wall of perfectly visible privilege.  This country is FULL of Americans who actively exercise their rights when given unlawful, unclear orders by police.  Refusing to roll down windows, present ID, hand over assault rifles, answer ANY questions, etc.  THEY are lauded as heroes; patriots. Message boards swell w/ Police being ridiculed & laughed at by this Patriot-Class of Americans.  Without fail, when select Americans excercise [sic] their rights, message boards FILL w praise for the resisting citizen & mockery of police.  An entire political party [re]constructed loudly claiming to RESIST "gov't tyranny" while actively CELEBRATING [certain] gov't tyranny!  A select segment of Americans are granted the privilege of being able to resist said tyranny, scream at it, punch, shove or elude it.  For membership consideration, this club has ONE requirement: the citizen(s) resisting police/the law/status quo must be white.  Every time the story involves a black citizen, doing far less, presumed guilt BEGINS as their's to shed. But one cannot shed blackness.  Blackness turns "awesome!" or "badass!" to "thug" "nigger" faster than a speeding bullet. Whiteness turns villain to hero in a flash.  As we well know, police are not THE law. They swear to UPHOLD & ENFORCE the law in a professional, courteous manner, whenever possible.  Otherwise, whenever we had a problem, we'd just call our friends, local gangs or the mob to handle problems.  The mob, gangs and citizens can be prosecuted though.  Should there should be a discernible difference b/t thugs & police?  You can't arrest someone for "resisting arrest." That's bullshit. Clearly state the charge & when resisted, that's an additional charge.  WE DO NOT BEGIN AS POLICE PROPERTY, to be freed or detained based on some guy's mood or feeling. We are not theirs.  Police weapons & cuffs do not dissolve if we don't like their attitude. Our rights should remain intact if they're displeased w/ ours.  #SandraBland's treatment while attempting to travel freely on HER public roadways has been acknowledged as unlawful. She is already dead.  Blackness is born to be w/ 2.9 strikes. A life that can & will be snatched by it's nation at any time, any place. Any age, any gender.  Those who relentlessly excuse all anti-black state violence cheerlead when people born of their same complexion resist cops & presidents.  What follows is an easily searchable sampling of the glaring daily white privilege not afforded to millions of Americans who's lives are forever damaged or destroyed, while millions cheer and/or avert their gaze: Before we begin, please list ALL infractions punishable by spontaneous murder at the hands of any police or white citizen. #ShowYourWork

So there you have it laid out.  Be white, carry a visible gun, cuss out cops, get a stern talking-to and get lionized by the TEA party.  Be black, drive your car to somewhere, get pulled over for not using a turn signal, or a broken tail light, or nothing at all... and be murdered.