Are Dogs More Respected Than Black People?

We live in a country where a canine is held at a higher regard than a black person.

In a recent incident, Amy Cooper, a white woman, was filmed in Central Park making a manufactured distress call to the police on black birdwatcher, Stephen Cooper. Despite the subject of the video--the false police report-- the state of her dog seemed to be more concerning than the black man she put in a possibly fatal situation.

In 2007, Michael Vick was convicted of dog fighting and spent 21 months in federal prison. In 2016, Kelontre Barefield, a black man, was sentenced to 45 years in prison after killing a police dog. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way justifying these situations. They were guilty, and both Vick and Barefield were rightfully, convicted for their crimes. My question is: Why are black people not awarded this same justice when they are murdered?

In 2014, Tamir Rice, an African-American boy, was only 12, when he was gunned down by police while playing with a toy gun in the park.

The killer, Timothy Loehmann, white, was never fired despite the clear negligence involving the case. He was eventually dismissed years later but for an entirely different reason. In 2019, a black Sheriff's Deputy in Arkansas was immediately fired after shooting at a hyper chihuahua---and it survived. Why are the consequences for injuring a dog more severe than murdering a black child?

Is it because we don't walk on all fours and wag our tails?

Why is it that two white civilians were able to murder a black man, Ahmaud Arbery, and remain in the comfort of their homes for months afterwards; only arrested after the entire nation forced a call to action? Why is it that George Zimmerman got away with stalking and killing Trayvon Martin? Why is it that police officers get away with murdering unarmed black people on a daily basis? Why, when it comes to black lives, is receiving justice a strenuous process? To me, the answer is simple; power and race.

Power and race are key elements when examining the outcome of many situations.

It took the intense outcry of citizens and public figures to force the arrest of the two white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery. Why? One of the men was a former cop and the other was his son. It was their power that postponed their imprisonment and it was their race that made them feel entitled to stalk and kill a black man.

Power is essential and it is undeniable that power is monopolized by the white race. According to Pew Research, white people make up 78 percent of Congress and 61 percent of the US population. Meaning, White Americans are vastly over represented. Black Americans---minorities in general---need to be placed in positions where they can restructure white dominated establishments and create change from within; change to law enforcement, justice systems, government departments and agencies, sports organizations, media companies and much more. We need to have the opportunity to obtain power and demand justice.

Because the thing is, black people aren't dogs. We shouldn’t be treated in the same manner and definitely not worse. A revolution is necessary to ensure black lives actually matter. However, it’s not just up to us. It’s up to everyone to make certain the society we live in is drastically altered so that black men and women no longer fear for their life or the lives of their children. It’s imperative that every person of every race does their part in building a better future.

What is going on in the world--- what has been going on in the world, is not a political matter. It’s a human rights matter. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best,“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”