Coffee with Chuck

Song: Fuck Tha Police (1988)

Artist(s): N.W.A. 

Album: Straight Outta Compton

Thoughts: I have been thinking all weekend about what I would say about this. As I ponder I find words are not enough. There are not sufficient words to encapsulate my feelings. But, shit, I guess I will try. I am tired. I am tired for many reasons. I am tired of feeling like my life is expendable to the state. I am tired of seeing young Black men die before they get to experience life. I am tired of universities and companies putting out statements of little substance. I am tired of questions. I hate the question, “how could someone do something like that”? I hate that question because it is arbitrary. There is no answer to evil.  What Tyre Nichols experienced in his last moments of life was pure evil and the worst crimes of humanity. There is no rationalizing the actions of those 5 pigs. I hate the question above. We know how something like this happens, white supremacy. The system of white supremacy enables police officers to operate without a moral compass. This system warrants lawlessness from the state. This same system has no regard for Black bodies. As I said I am tired of feeling like my life is expendable and empty statements from the university. On Friday, we got several emails from the university. And one of the emails described the murder of Tyre Nichols as a “tragic loss”. We didn’t tragically lose Tyre Nichols. He was taken from us. He was taken from his family. His life was taken from him. He was taken from the world. That is how white supremacy works it takes Black lives. None of these emails called out white supremacy. To summarize all these emails in one sentence, “ We are a community, and here are the resources on campus”. Sentiments like this make me feel alone, isolated, and not supported. Of course, there are classes today and campus will function as normal. It is like N.W.A. said in their intro on “Straight Outta Compton” “When something happens in South Central Los Angeles, nothing happens, it’s just anotha’ nigga dead”. When something happens in America nothing happens, it’s just anotha’ nigga dead. I am tired of business as usual. Business as usual means Black death. I tried to have some normalcy in my life this weekend for my sanity which meant watching the NFL. It is great to see that there will be two Black quarterbacks in the Superbowl. But I can only wonder how these two Black men are celebrated, but if they didn’t wear helmets they would just be as expendable. I think I am going to end here. There is no motif or positive message here. I am just fucking tired. P.E.A.C.E.