Black boy down

Time we surpass the color of skin. It is 2014, brothers and sisters.

                             Black boy down

Another kid killed in the USA. Media described young black man killed by police. I don't know. I was sadden a young man was killed. I didn't care if he was black or white.

A lot of people pissed off. Burning cities down. Who won? Poor family lost their child. Should of been a time of mourning and than a time of repairing. Repairing mean next election toss out the trash and train the police officers to hand situation with better care.

I was born and raised in Detroit. Good and bad people like all places. I never looked for trouble and trouble never found me. I was a white face in a mainly black school. I was rarely bothers and I didn't know. Some people looked down at the poor.

I was in the Army for almost 15 years. My mentors were Black Non Commission Officers. They looked at me as a man and I looked at them with great respect. Military taught us Soldiers. We are all blood, skin and bone. We have families, like to laugh and want respect.

Black boy down. Laying dead. Who to blame? All through the USA. Leaders are forgetting the kids. Kids need to be busy and active. Need education and opportunity.

Today I pray for the parent of  Michael Brown and  tamir-rice. Just kids. Here in the USA. We should be pissed off. Teach Police Officers how to handle kids. Killing should be the last resolve.

Today I'm holding sadness. Kids were killed. Lights of life gone forever. The child killed today could of been the savior of us from violence and hate tomorrow.

Don't burn the cities down. Vote the poor leaders out and demand police reform. Today I'm praying today for the families who lost their children. We need to stand with them and cry.

Here in the USA. Time to change to the ways of Europe. Some places in Europe, Police officers don't carry guns.
Kids have opportunity.

                             Coyote/John Castellenas

Author's Note

Sad days for the USA.

Reviews

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Amazing how there was controversy cause he was black, if he were white there would not have been an issue… I watch a video once of a cop shooting a suspect, the first time it looked like he was shooting a man giving up, but in slow motion you could see the man was reaching for a weapon… not all is as it seems sometimes.

[Coyote Poetry]

I was a Soldier. You take cover before killing. Observe and decide. Being a police officer. Wound before kill. This isn't the old west. Last month in Washington State. Two white kids killed others and than themselves. Something is wrong. In my days in school. We had concern for the atom bomb. They taught my Grandchildren how to take cover under their seats at school. This is a sad world. Kids need hope and chance. Can get worst? Madness in all races.

[The Analog Kid]

Totally agree with Dale here.

[ANTO]

"...Black Non Commission Officers. They looked at me as a man and I looked at them with great respect..." - the world seems to be in a state of uncivilising - retrgrade steps CP. This poem holds so many of the 'undeniable truths' that your forefathers wished to see form the backbone of a people. It is sad that you felt compelled to write this about those same 'people'. But all is never lost...

[Coyote Poetry]

"the world seems to be in a state of uncivilising"
The above line is true. After Bill Clinton left office. Poor leadership took the world into the wrong direction. Thank you for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[Baby Ricochet]

I don't know what's going on with LE these days, or ever for that matter but one thing's obvious. The DA'S in all these cases decided to let the cops walk. My boy John Stewart talked about this on his show just a few days ago. Great piece Coyote. I grew up in the rural south where weapons were a fact of daily life and no one ever thought about school slayings or the local sheriff's blowing kids away. That kind of violence never happened in our crappy little town. In fact nothing ever happened in that town.

[Coyote Poetry]

I was stationed in Germany. Old NCO told us. German police don't carry guns. Don't piss them off. They will kick your a*s. Some places need guns. Please don't sit in your police car and shoot four rounds into a 12 year old. Thank you for reading my friend.

[Layi Tate]

Unfortunately it's the world we live in its what it has come to truly it's frightening disappointing and an eye opener too just draws me closer to my decision!

[Coyote Poetry]

I don't know. Maybe it is time we slow down and find the old beliefs again. Old world is going mad. We can never accepting killing as the first step. Thank you Layi for reading and the comment.

[Layi Tate]

I definitely agree people need something Hope for Humanity has gone out the window ..... As for beliefs lol we won't even get into that .... And your welcome I love the way you expressed yourself . :)

[Valkyrie Warrior]

Wow......Just wow!!!!!!!!!!!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear Poet for reading. Enough killing and riots. Time to repair and fix the problems.

[Valkyrie Warrior]

I agree completely

[Beccy]

And another sad day for humankind John. Why, oh why, do we never learn the lesson. Colour, creed, belief, should mean nothing. All that ought to count is that we are all brothers and sisters made in the same image and gifted with a beautiful world that we make ugly by such actions.

Beccy.

[Coyote Poetry]

I pray for better days Beccy. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Emily]

I feel this poem focuses on the deep sadness that runs through both situations. These killing were unjust, and this is the reason for the protests. We must fight against the evils of society to prevent another black family's sadness.

[Coyote Poetry]

All kids must be safe. All races are mistreated. Don't kill without real reason.Training is needed. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Droc]

The Rock And Roll Cowboy seems to be firing from the hip on this issue. He was unarmed, the offence was suspected of stealing cigarillo's, and there were gaps between shots? "Opps!. That twitching could be him going for a gun; need five more shorts. It was a blatent killing! you hae to be a guttless wonder or insane with predudice to need six bullets to subdue an unarmed youth. Ande it was not a 'Grand Jury that made the decision, it was the 'Grunge Jury'. And where is the relevance if there is no uproar if it happened to a white youth? That simply suggests they don't care about their own. Thank God they are only blanks you are firing Cowboy. Statistics are where the truth is to be found, and there has just been another added.

[Coyote Poetry]

Can't always kill. This is not war. Kids will test the system. Need wisdom and common sense before killing another person. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Riley Justine]

I don't want to be that person but it wasn't because he was black, he was armed. Now I totally agree that the officer should have wounded him before killing him but he was probably full of nerves! Maybe it was an accident maybe he regrets it. But I don't believe he was shot and killed only because he was of coloured skin.

[Coyote Poetry]

My concern is not race. It is the safety of our kids. The cities are not war zones. Here in Detroit. Police officers made mistakes. Simple rules. No car chases and don't shot rounds in a public place. They had car chases (Result was innocent people dying)and killed kids in their beds with wild shots. Police officers have great responsibilities. Before shooting weapon. Know who and what you are shooting at. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[cinel]

Nice one, this is beautiful, i feel your anguish.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the comment.

[h d e rushin]

I believe (as apparently you do) that poems can stand as launching points for change, or at least,
a starting point for discussion. Nicely written

dana

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you. We must know change. No-one wins when a child is killed.