Blowing Smoke

We seem to forget Police Officers are people too.

 

          I never really enjoyed the bus ride to my grandparents after school. On the other hand, it was better than being picked up by one of the many gangs hidden in Chicago. My mom worked 2^nd shifts at GM, so I would go over to my grandparents until she came home at night. Plus, I only saw my pops every other weekend. So I was stuck with bus 27, property of East Side Chicago High School.

            My grandparents lived on a small corner lot of Pearl Street. On most days, I would come over and Grandma would fix me a bologna sandwich with chippies, as she called them. Then me and Grandpa would play chess to pass the time. That was most days though, and today felt different because grandpa wasn’t messing with the front yard like he usually does.

            When I came in my Grandma kissed me on the cheek, and started making me her signature snack. Grandpa on the other hand was smoking a cigarette while he sat watching the news. Then at the bottom of the screen read, “Marine veteran kills 3 officers while injuring 3 others in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”

“Oh, George you know how I think about smoking in the house. Why don’t cha take it outside.”

“Woman, just let me be. Do you not see what just happened? This is the only thing keeping me from smoking one of these thugs on the streets.”

“What’s wrong Grandpa?”

“Oh hey Calvin, I didn’t even see you come in. It’s all these shootings lately that has got me all fired up.”

“I think it’s a good thing those cops got what they deserve. You know more than anyone about how the police like to abuse their power. This is what we need for change.” I said without my filter.

“Boy, who the hell has been filling your head with that smack?”

“My pops is always talking about how unfair the justice system is to us.”

“Let me tell you something son. The law is going to treat you the same whether you’re black, yellow, or white. Your father is just mad because he has spent his time in and out of jail his whole life, so don’t let any of that mess with your head. I want to show you something.”

Then he went into his room, and came back with a framed picture. When he handed it to me I saw it was a picture of him and another guy.

“Who is this?”

“That was my friend Jeffery back when I was your age. He hated the law just like you. Wanna know what happened to Jeffrey? He was shot just a few months after we took that picture in your hand. Back in the day, we didn’t think it was cool to ride the bus home, so the two of us would always walk home. We both had each other’s back. We had a bond. So we’re walking one day, and a cop car is driving real slow behind us. I kept telling him to let it go, and to keep walking, but even the sight of a badge infuriated him. He turned around and said, ‘Why don’t you mind your own damn business pigs!’ The cop flipped his lights, and instantly started drilling us with questions. I didn’t say anything, because Jeffrey was too busy cussing them out. The two were in each other’s faces screaming their heads off. Then his partner told us to sit on the curb, while they decided what to do with us. Jeffery reached into his jacket and said, “The man can’t keep us down forever.”

He stopped for a moment to choke back some tears. I had never seen my Grandpa like this, so I was caught off guard.

“They shot him dead right then and there. It was only later that we found out he was just reaching for a damn cigarette. After that I don’t remember much, but I do remember the other officer pulling me away from the officer that shot my friend. When the others arrived, neither of them spoke a word of me swinging at the officer. I still to this day don’t know why they didn’t do anything to me. I didn’t ever get a chance to ask him either, because he killed himself three weeks later. Stanley Willis, that was his name, died at the age of 29. Life is cruel that way. It never ends with one lost, death only leads to more death.” Grandpa stated with this glazed eyes as he stared at the picture I handed back to him.

“Yeah, but the cop got what he deserved in the end. He killed Jeffrey for no reason at all. He should have been given worst if you ask me.”

“You still don’t get it do ya?” He said with a look of amazement. “What happened in Baton Rouge today is a sign of worse to come. A Marine did not kill three cops, and an Officer did not kill a civilian those years ago. People see the badge with the red and blue, and think that makes the other a different species or something. We are all just people once you strip away all of the titles. Yeah, the police force might be too strict in the way they handle things, but that doesn’t give us the right to go around killing them. In the world we live in today, respect means about as much as the butt of this cigarette. People are murdering others for no reason at all. And it’s not a few shootings a year, it has increased to multiple shootings in one month. Just you watch son, if this continues it will become free game for anyone. People going around murdering anyone they want just because they feel like it. The people who are volunteering to protect us are now being hunted.” He took a long hit from the burning cigarette in his hand.

“If you ask me, lung cancer sounds like a wet dream compared to the reality ahead.”