Two unarmed women were gunned down recently in broad daylight but there were no protests, no outrage, nothing. The daughter died, and the mother is still in the hospital suffering from gunshot wounds.
The two women were gunned down as they got out of their car in their garage in Sugar Top, Schenley Heights, one of the more affluent neighborhoods in the city. According to media reports there were three to four gunmen, all Black males.
As I stated before these women were unarmed, and to date no criminal records has been found on them. Yet they were gunned down gangster style to send out a message.
The media has stated that the daughter was to talk to the District Attorney dealing with a group who had been arrested for drug trafficking. The charges have been dropped, but it’s rumored the Feds are going to pick up the case in which the charges will be much more severe.
Let’s hope so. Because right now what this shooting is saying to the community is that if you step forward to testify nobody has your back. The D. A. didn’t have her back; the community is only concerned about a shooting death if it’s a White cop doing the shooting. If you’re Black and another Black person shoots you, tough, you are just as dead, and the pain and suffering and medical bills are just as bad.
What gets me is that these thugs who did the shooting are still on the streets to kill again, and again. And they must be some mighty brave men because it took three to four to take out an unarmed woman.
Another thing that worries me is–with the extra sensitivity to police brutality in the country–it will lead to these and other deadly thugs in our communities, mostly young Black males, not being arrested and taken off the streets because police will be reluctant–or use it as an excuse–to not do their jobs.
Whoever the city’s new chief is, it’s going to be a very tough job. First he or she must let all officers know that police brutality will not be tolerated, telling the communities–which include hoodlums and their supporters–they will not allow the hoodlums, and thugs to control the streets.
And yes there will be times in which innocent people will be stopped in the search for the guilty. But in these stops the police must understand that these young men must be treated with respect even if they aren’t treating the police with respect. You would be surprised at what comes out of the mouths of some of these young men, as well as some police.
If the hoodlums and thugs in our communities, which are in the minority, can create an atmosphere of fear both for the police, as well as the citizens they win. We cannot allow these cowards who have no fear when it comes to gunning down or beating down two unarmed women and yes, even children to rule our streets. There have been far too many Black on Black homicides. We need to get these thugs off the streets and behind bars.
One note: I must respond to a columnist who in the Courier asked the question. Don’t White people kill White people? The answer is yes, but at a far lower rate than Blacks kill Blacks. Just look at the Allegheny County numbers month after month, year after year. Blacks are killing each other at a rate of 70 to 80 percent of the total, whereas most of the White killings are either domestic, or a mass killing by a mentally disturbed person. This is not just Pittsburgh but throughout the country. Since when do two wrongs make a right? Let White folks clean up their own mess. It’s time we cleaned up ours.
My continued challenge to Black newspapers throughout this country and Black Radio stations and the few Black TV stations and networks, TV1, Radio 1 and BET, when are you going to follow the Courier’s lead? Start listing, start crusading, start revealing, and start addressing Black on Black violence? It is the number one problem in the Black community, far more severe than police brutality.
How long are we going to be silent, ignoring this critical problem in our community? It’s not only taking our young Black men’s lives, but it’s killing our communities because businesses will not locate in them, kids are being taught that being a drug dealer is the best way to make money, while many of our older people are living in fear of the young people, and as soon as we as Blacks get some money we move out instead of trying to improve our communities.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t address police brutality. I’m saying that if police brutality was totally eliminated very little would change in the Black community for the average person.
I commend all the groups and individuals who have joined the fight to stop the violence. And that means both police brutality as well as Black on Black violence. Not just the deaths, but also the hundreds of shootings, stabbings, and beatings that don’t end in death but in pain and suffering. Imagine how much we are dishing out in medical cost? We must stand together against all violence, no matter who it comes from.
(Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier. He can be reached at ucarter@newpittsburghcourier.com)
