Here’s just a few of the talking points that have ben swirling around in the aftermath of the SEAN BELL murder…
SEAN BELL’s murder can’t be just like AMADOU DIALLO or KENNETH BANKS or PATRICK DORISMOND. The officer’s must be held accountable for their actions. The policy of policing with a finger always on a gun trigger must be dismantled. Bad police and bad policy can’t be acceptable to fair-minded people. This is my chance and your chance to let your voice be felt with silence.
On Friday December 15 and Saturday December 16 please honor the legacy of ALL the people that have died so painfully and so needlessly. Please don’t consume any outside entertainment on these two days to commemorate these victims. Curtail your holiday shopping for these two days as well. It is with our dollars and sense that we will speak on these days.
If feasible please entertain family and friends inside your dwelling and give a moment of silence for the family of SEAN BELL. May peace be upon them.
Amen.
DP, those boycotts (of shopping and entertainment in general) aren’t the American way, and that’s not even considering how the Bush administration encouraged people to go shopping in the wake of 9/11 and when Shock-and-Awe started.
I’m racking my brain to come up with something better, though. Methinks any cop involved in a civilian shooting should be subject to videotaped hearing, without legal counsel, in front of a community panel within three hours of the event.
I hope someone’s got something better than that, ’cause I know some lawyer-type is going to blow holes through that one. Maybe 50.
LM,
our backs are totally against the wall. We don’t have anything else in our arsenal to fight back with. The people can’t wait until November again!?! Where is Hillary?!? Where is Barack?!? Do they have stock options in the prison industrial complex?
The only option is to remove our consumer fingerprint from the crime scene. It’s tough LM and it means that we need more that just the victims and the people that look like their family to participate. Its hardcore stuff, but what else do we have?
DP, I’m on record as supporting anti-consumeristic action like this…
Agreed on other points. Sigh.
Go to sleep.
I think if we could collectivly impose a boycott on entertainment and other goods for a sustained period of time we would see almost immediate results. I say 50 days. I’m good for at least 49 cause I’m copping those Black V’s. Other than that bare necessities.
Btw the march in support of the family of Sean Bell and stop of police brutality is on 59th street & 5th ave @12:00 noon.
The problem with a boycott is that there wont be enough numbers for it to have any actual effect. If niggas really want to make a difference in NY, they’ll pull the burner out and murk a cop or two instead of another black man for a change. Then we’ll they damn attention. Niggas in NY ain’t doing shit, Where are those niggas from southside at? Quick to murk a nigga over petty shit but then wont do shit when they man gets shot 50 times.
Actually, withdrawing consumer support is the best form of protest nowadays. Marching was good when blacks weren’t even allowed in certain places. Now no matter who marches you can just ignore it. That PETA throwing paint thing is a good way to get your ass whipped. Plus I’m broke anyway so that fits right in with me. Seriously America only cares when the cashflow slows.
^Bump the anti-consumerist angle.
Hey quick note Dallas, there’s always hope. We do have something to fight back with, I think it’s just done better together. You already know anyway.
Consumer Boycotts are the best way to make our voices heard, period. Capitalism is the driving force in this country, higher than the ideals of democracy. Taking away their profits only thing that has any effect on the wig owners of this country. But we can’t look at as, “today I’m boycott, tomorrow I’m gonna cop some V’s”. That’s still pandering to their Ideals. I know this going to be hard, but we need to start boycotting/sanctioning some of these major corporations that infiltrate our communities until they can support our ideals while we support their pockets. Which means don’t cop them V’s at all instead send em a picture of your money and tell em’ ” I was gonna cop some kicks, but you don’t care about us so I don’t care to buy your products!’. I know this line has been walked before, but what else is there short of civil war?
didnt another kid get blasted in the bronx the other day?
I’m getting the V’s regardless to what you say. Boycotting & protesting is as routine to me as brushing my teeth. I’m running out of stores to shop in my neighborhood.
I’m not the average consumer I live by the barter system and the hookup.
“collectively impose a boycott on entertainment and other goods for a sustained period of time” — that could be effective, where two days won’t. The two days might get some news coverage, just like marches might get shown on television, but not results.
Depends on the level of support…consider that black friday erases a whole year slack for retail stores. If you could get a substantial number of people to not shop for two days. That would be felt.
Hey Dal –
Is that you in the pic trying to sniff Beyonces poon?
Amadeo,
If everyone — or 30 percent of people — boycotted Black Friday, that would be an impact. But any two days (I know, tomorrow and the 16th are right in the middle of the holiday season)? And by how many people? (Implicit in that is “from which communities?” — ’cause a whole lot of people in the power structure can ignore black people for a day or two Which stores? I’m not against the concept, as one whose eyes start tearing up the moment I get five steps into a shopping mall. But I think there needs to be more organization, a more sustained effort, to make it more than a well-intentioned, and far from empty, gesture.
LM
Amen..
LM,
It would have to be alot…but when you consider just how much shit black people buy any two days of not shopping would do something. The real is to get mothers, single or otherwise onboard. Youth groups and mothers can get a lot done. I think you would need time like what went into the million man march. I remember mention of a bigger effect coming from those who just didn’t shop and things of that nature, but I never had solid figures. A good case study for this would be gas. Notice how when people start talking about not buying gas some rumor always pops up on how there will be a shortage and that always gets people out. Gas is more of something people need though. When I look around my office though, I can think of sistas who go to target and drop a ball ($100) like it’s nothing.
Amadeo,
No disagreement with above. I’d add… 1) men have to be a bigger part, 2) the MMM was on the “attention-getting” scale (amazing it’s been 134 months since then), the kind that causes people to truly think about priorities and followup, and 3) as a day-to-day student of behavioral finance, most often of sistas who like to shop at Target and elsewhere, the problem with a short-term boycott is that retailers know they’ll make up for that weekend’s shortfall when the missing shoppers drop twice as much the next time out. It’s not much different than a bad snowstorm that keeps people in for a while.