Welcome to another episode of Civic CZICHERI I'm your host, Ramsey's job.
He is your host, rams this job, I am h Ward.
You aren't listening to cide Ciphers. Let's go a lot to stick around for this show. You know, most of the time we deal with issues that have to do with you know, black and brown people, black and brown communities, you know, and you know other marginalized groups in this country. But you know, there's been a couple of stories in the news lately that come from our brothers and sisters,
our Caucasian brothers and sisters. Is tribe right, and you know, we are able to deduce that by telling these stories, we can a bring some light to these tragedies. You know, those are our family too, as we reckon. But also we can further illuminate some of the system issues that we're talking about. A lot of folks can't hear it. They feel like these are black issues, and you know, large they largely are, but that's not to say that
they don't affect other community. So we're going to be sharing some really interesting stories of police misconduct and really that's it, police misconduct, and because the victims are not black, they're white. You can see better see rather the systemic issues. If you're not able to just see black people as the way in the way that black people see black people, right, and I get it. The world has taught you to be this way. We're not mad at you.
We're just going to share some other story. Hey man, we got what he meant to say.
We also got a lot more to stick around for as well. We're going to talk about one police department in particular that's been having a tough time and that kind of shows kind of some more of these systemic issues. And then, of course our way black history fact, we're going to talk about a black couple who help build green Wood Wood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So first and foremost, let's get into some ebony excellence. How does that sound cute?
Sounds great to me.
Let's do it. Let's do it all right. Today's Abny Excellence is sponsored by Major Threads, where high fashion meets timeless mens, where you can find out more at major threads dot com. Story comes by a Huffington Post. All right,
let's give this later for flowers. Katanji Brown Jackson gives the Supreme Court a history lesson giving a forceful performance in defense of the race conscious history of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act noted by Harvard Law as policy that could even lead to the biggest decline
in Black and Latino representation and generations. In the case of Merrill versus Milligan, Alabama is asking the court to overturn decades of precedent allowing a limited consideration of race to enable racial minorities to obtain equal political representation in redistricting. If you haven't heard about this, please look it up.
This is a crazy thing that's going on roundbreaking. A transformation of the Voting Rights Act into a race neutral law, as Alabama is seeking, would roll back that community's progress
toward equality. According to Jackson, the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted during this time to quote ensure that people who had been discriminated against the freedmen during the reconstruction period were actually brought equal to everyone else in society, and that the entire point of the amendment was to secure rights
of freed former slaves. She quoted an eighteen sixty six speech by Republican representative of Pennsylvania indicating that the purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment was to halt the ongoing deprivation of rights and equality from black men and women across
the former Confederate States. So, in short, Alabama is tripping, tripping, and Katanji Brown Jackson is a shining example of ebony excellence, given that she has a platform and she is using it to bring attention to this matter and let these people know that if they vote wrong, that they are tripping.
To Sometimes when people want to take a trip, you got to give him a map.
Listen, man, she's doing just that. So all right, so all right, we're going to move into some heavier things. Yeah, so you know I'm gonna get right into it. There's there's no two ways about this. So we have seen some videos. We hope that you haven't, but it's likely that you have if you're into this type of stuff social justice, you know, watching the police making sure everybody gets a fair chance and fair shake at life and at different levels in society. One of the videos that
we saw was a young man. He was in his vehicle and he I believe he went into a ditch. He was in a group as a truck, pickup truck something like that, and he called for help. He was having a bad day, and he made sure to explain to the dispatcher. I'm gonna get into this, but just so you are able to follow the story, calls the nine to one one dispatcher, asks for help, He explains
his situation. Make sure everyone knows I'm not dangerous, you know, whatever he's says that he's if I remember correctly, says that he's having like a tough time mentally something like that, alludes to it or something like that. And the police show up and talked to him for a while, and then when they were tired of talking to him, they
shot him. This young man was white, as I mentioned, And you know, we tell these black stories over and over again, but you know, maybe maybe you might hear a little different when it happens to a white person. Maybe their humanity is a little bit more intact. And again, I'm not mad at you for that. The world has taught you to be that way. Go ahead, you can
say I'm definitely mad, okay, but I'm not. I understand that you were brought up in a society that taught you to hate better than it taught you to love. I recognize that. Now. Q's mad because you're probably an adult listening to this show, and you should know.
Better about you making a decision.
But I'll continue. So today's this first story rather comes from NBC News the murder of Christian Glass and our producer Magaby Know and she wanted me to ask the question, why send an armed military the word in quotes, because this is kind of the way that police behave. This isn't like the Andy Griffith Show or anything like that.
I mean, it's not just about behavior, but the way that they're equipped, the way that you're trained, the weapons that they carry, the tactical gear that they wear.
In the mindset as well, it's like a war. They have a won their.
Community military uniform. It's just blue and black.
There you go. And so I think that was Maggie's point, Why send an our military that can't wait to shoot to help with a mental health issue? What was very obviously a mental health issue. So I'll read I'm going to get into Christian glasses statement to the officers. This is him talking. I have two knives, a hammer, and a rubber mallet. This is just what he had in his truck. You know, people are allowed to have things in their truck black people too, okay, And knives are
not necessarily weapons. Some people hunt some people, you know, you know, if it's in a truck too, you know.
But remind the audience was Christian Glass.
He was not black. He was white. He was a white, young white man. Anyway, he says to the officers, I have two knives, a hammer, and a rubber mallet. But I am not dangerous. I will keep my hands completely visible, he told the dispatcher, offering to throw them out once officers arrived. Right, so he needs help. Do you have any weapons in the car? Yes, I do have this, this and this I will throw I'm not I'm no threat to anybody. I will throw them out of the car. Right,
so he called for help. He's dead, now call for help, okay, all right, And the story goes on. But officers wouldn't let him throw them out.
Just so we're clear, these officers are present because he called for help.
Correct. We've we've shared this story too. I remember, I mean, you got to swap a couple of pieces around. But I remember a story where we shared this story where a black man was I think he was killed in his living room or his driveway or something like that. It was a similar thing. He called the police that came in and killed him. So if that didn't hit, maybe this wondoes.
Here we go.
The officers would not let him throw the things out, telling him to keep the weapons inside the car, as they escalated the situation of deadly violence. Please push me out, drag me out. I'll follow you to a police station. Glass told the officers, I'm so scared, I'm gonna stop right here. So he's still in his car. He's wanting the officers to push him out of the ditch or like the tie a thing, to drag him out. He will go with them to the police station. He's afraid.
It's a nighttime too. By the way, if you haven't seen the video, we saw the video because there's body cam footage.
This is one. This is one of those videos. Yeah, if you are a human being, we say this like, this is one of those videos that kicks you in the stomach. Yeah, it's very very stay. It is not subtle, right, and you're gonna get to it as you read some more of the statements, some more of the story, but there is a moment where it seems like, oh, this might go how it should yeah, and then all of a sudden it does not. It does not, and it
is like a kick in the stomach. Yeah, yeah, because there was, there is absolutely there are sometimes where the circumstance create an outcome that that shouldn't have happened. Right, that still shouldn't happened. Even given the circumstances. It still shouldn't have happened. But it colors it in a way where maybe you can give it to someone that they were afraid and they just made a bad judgment call.
This is not one of those situations, and that's I don't think that's just cute talking. You're welcome to watch the video yourself. Again, his name is Christian Glass. We don't recommend that you. We don't celebrate death, we don't celebrate violence against you know, black bodies. We don't celebrate violence against white bodies either. Again, this is our brother that is now gone because of this institution that really needs to be fixed, and it's our job to explain
this and discuss it so that we can move forward. Okay, so yeah, I'll follow you to a police station. Glass told the officers, I'm so scared, you need to step out of the car. Now step out of the car. An officer said, that's a lawful order. Step out of the car now, or you'll be removed from the vehicle. Glass responded, I'm so scared. You're not communicating clearly with me.
I don't understand why I have to come out. For a brief second, the responding officers had a moment of clarity, this is what you were talking about, you, and decided to call over a female officer with a much calmer demeanor. As she walked over to the car, Glass put his hands, oh God, into a heart sign and blue kisses at her, illustrating just how big of a threat he was. And I forgot about that part. I completely forgot about that car.
Same back at you, but come out and talk to us, said. Unfortunately, all logic and reasons would become non existent at this point, and instead of leading the innocent man alone, officers decided to move in. One officer jumped on the hood of glasses car with a pistol and flashlight in his face as others drewe weapons and pointed him at him. Seconds later, as an officer breaks the window, multiple shots were fired and Glass was murdered, and that was the end of
the story of Christian Glass. He died right there in that ditch, and the heroes took his life. Now go ahead.
But you know what's really hard to reconcile. You know these instances where the body cam footage is missing, right, Like that's an officer saying to themselves, I'm about to do something messed up.
Yeah, I'm about.
To get rid of this camera. I'm about to turn this camera off. And then it's just my word again. When something like this happens and the body camera footage is just readily available, that shows how much they get to operate with impunity. That it's not even like we don't even were not we just we feel like murdering today. That's what we on And who's going to do something to us for it? This is what we feel like doing today. Yes, when we get to the station, you
can have this camera. Do with it what you know, as you may. I'll deal with whatever my punishment or whatever the consequences.
Are in the morning or whatever, you know what I mean. It's like the arrogance isn't the right word. It's apathy.
This complete.
I'm going to just completely.
Disregard this person's life because by the authority given to me by this badge.
You are beneath me.
I want to talk about this, the authority by the badge. So watch this, and we had this conversation before on the show. We have to recognize that police are people and the institution of policing is flawed. Those are two things that we have to recognize. And we accept people as our brothers and sisters. If they are endowed with consciousness by our common creator, they are brothers and sisters. This is a fundamental principle of this show and certainly
of my life, and I believe yours as well. The institution of policing is wrong in the way that it's executed. I'll make my point. There will inevitably be people that will defend even this story of this young white man right the police they were justified, and that they were afraid and they he didn't listen to them, and whatever, you know, you have to collect, protect the police, you know, stand by the You know, there are people that will do this right, but they will have to accept that
he shouldn't have died. He admitted that he was scared. He called them for help. You know what I mean, Like if you examine all the optics. Any reasonable person will say, yeah, that's unfortunate that he shouldn't have died.
Right, It's so important for you to keep saying that part that he called them for help. They didn't just come across him and they because because there could be some confusion there. Right, if they just come across this truck in the ditch, this man might be crazy, this man might be angry.
They don't know what they're going in.
I don't know what's going on.
No, it wasn't that either, So it's important that you keep highlighting that for sure.
Sure, sure, so watch this those people that say, well, you know, the police have to protect themselves if they felt the threat, blah blah blah whatever. They are saying that Christian class did not have that, right a, that's de facto that by default they're protect him. Sure, the police do, and they are accepting that as collateral damage.
Remember we had that conversation. They are saying that, well, this works for most folks, and you know, sometimes it doesn't work, but we're just going to deal with it, and we exist. The show exists because we fight against that narrative. There should be no such thing as collateral damage, not when you're dealing with human life. The FAA exists because no plane should fall out of the sky, right,
That's why it exists. That should never ever happen, not one time, and if it does, it's a national tragedy. And yet these people that run to defend the institution of policing blindly, not the individual. The institution. Police need, you know, our broad sweeping support. There are heroes in our community. Whatever these narratives that get chronicled around the country, these people accept that, well, there's just going to be some margin of error when you're dealing with this, and
that we feel on this show. I feel personally you can see me. I'll be in the street. I feel like that is unacceptable. And as long as they give me a mikerphone and a signal and a satellite dish, I'm gonna keep saying it. Yo, rest in peace, Christian Glass. I will say your name on this show. I gotta finish this, sorry, y'all. In statements the Clear count I have to say this part because journalists now or whatever.
In statements, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Department office said Glass became quote argumentative and uncooperative unquote and tried to stab an officer. I have to say that you got to say what's next. I'm gonna say that too, but you're you're welcome to watch this for yourself. But the video from the arrest shows that Glass, who made a heart with his hands toward officers and said he was terrified, never even got out of his vehicle.
Is that once again they know that they turned in those cameras.
Wait a minute, Wait a minute, hold on the way that because you know, the cameras don't come out until way later. So the police report, the police report originally like you can look this up too. We don't have time to go into it. But Maggie, our producer, showed me everything at the beginning. The police report was written just like that, like he was argumentative and he you know, didn't didn't put the hard hands to stab us. So
watch this while we're here. Why is it that he might get if you're listening to our show, you know, and you feel sad for this, and maybe you haven't felt sad or maybe you know when you hear some stories about black and brown people losing their life at the hands of the police, why is it that you can feel sad for this person because they were scared of the police and they were doing heart hands. But it's tough for you to reconcile. Well, why did a black guy run from the police if he didn't have
anything to hide. Why does your mind not go to well, maybe he was scared. If anybody got a reason to be scared of the police. Do I need to finish the sentence? All right, let's move on. I'm not mad, just making some points. I want you to think, very man, I've learned to crush these problems with my mind. Vice you know what I mean. I have to keep my
spirit intact. I have to remain positive and optimistic because we are going somewhere together and we, for better or worse, whether we like it or not, are leading.
I am not as refined and polished a human being.
And that's okay, man. You got to keep it real.
Brother and co host, you got to keep it real, man.
We need both.
I am not okay, but listen, very.
Angry, but listen. My point was that we have to lead. That's what we're doing. We're leading, and if we can as often as we can, as often as we have the capacity to do. So my hope is that you and I both always lead with love. So if you're listening to this despite the frustration and or, I want you to know that we do love you, and we love you too. Christian class, we will say your name because it matters your life, matter did and you did not deserve that death.
Am I seeing correctly that we have another one?
Ye, there's another one. We actually have three. I don't only have time to get to to two of them today.
But this one's watched this one too, Yeah, yeah.
This is the one that made it to TMZ. So maybe you watch this one too if you're listening. So this one, our story rather comes from NPR. The name is Eric ken Too. So Eric is I believe he's still fighting for his life life support. Yeah, so we're going to say his name because you know, we need to say his name. It is not Eric No, no, no, no, Eric Ken Too is the person who was shot. Yeah
that's right, that's right. So a now ex police officer is charged after shooting a teenager eating in a parking lot. So if you've seen this video, the way it goes as an officer, the video part of it, an officer goes up to a car, opens the door, tells a kid to get out of the car, kids eating the guy, and the kids like huh what and then all of a sudden the officers just start shooting him, and the kids like, oh my god, and he like drives off
attempts Yeah, and again. The way the story got written up was like, it's crazy how the police can misrepresent the truth and.
Why would they ever do such a thing.
It happens all the time. In fact, you should listen to the bi n daily podcast show that I do because I talk about this very thing. I have a recent installment it's called One More Thing that Maggie helped me produce. By the way, so shout out to Maggie. Me normal again. And we were talking about coppaganda, which is why we tend to think of police as being the good guys all the time, which in theory they
should be, but why we never can. It's hard for us to see them as being the bad guys because we've watched so many films and so forth, and the police have had their hand in every film to control the narrative how they're portrayed. Since drag Met I'll do it. Sorry, I'll be going on my tam, but you gotta know,
all right. And now former San Antonio police officer was charged Tuesday with two counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer for shooting and gravely wounding a teen eating a hamburger in his car in a McDonald's parking lot. The teen had begun driving away when the officer opened fire. Cantu is still unconscious and on life support, his family said Tuesday. There is no improvement in his condition. The
family said in a statement. Branand, a rookie officer, reported the vehicle COUNTO was sitting in, had evaded him the night before during an attempted traffic stop. Brenand said he suspected the vehicle was stolen. In body camera footage released by police, Breanand opens the car door and tells Count two to get out. The car drives backwards with the door open, and the officer fires multiple times into the vehicle.
He continues to shoot as the car drives away. Investigators quickly determined that the use of deadly force was unwarranted, and Bernand was fired. Charges against Cantu have aggravated assault and evating arrest were dropped.
So they just made up some trumped up charges to throw on mister Eric Kanto to justify almost killing him, Yeah, for simply sitting in his car and eating food.
So here's the thing. I say this all the time because it's such a good idea. Insurance from police officers just like doctors. Okay, that way, if an officer messes up, they're unensurable. They can't keep working because this guy they fired him. Go get a job somewhere else. This is what happens all the time.
We notice.
Keep them guns in the trunk. Okay, nine percent of the time you're not shooting a gun, and when you might need to shoot a gun, that's when you take it out.
But if you have it at the ready, and you should have to think, I gotta go.
That's what I'm trying to say. And this is what they do in a lot of countries around the world where a gun ownership is legal right, they have the right to bear arms. Just to say, and you know, there's a hundred other things for anybody that wants to look a layer or two deeper. But the fact is is that there's a well established narrative about police being the good guys, and we're telling two stories because you know, police shooting another black guy is week to week.
Around here in five hundred stories.
But you know, this past couple of weeks, we had some of our brothers and sisters from the Caucasian tribe that have been had some really tough police interactions, and we're hoping that Eric Canto makes it through because he didn't deserve to die. He was just as surprised as we were seeing the video. But you know, this is the world that we live in, and you know, we have to share these stories and no matter how tough they are, we got to keep moving forward.
So step