>>YOU WANT TO SEE THE LAST VIDEO?
>>SURE, IT IS HIS FAMILY, RIGHT?
************************* >>WHEN PROCESSING THE DEATH OF
ALTON STERLING, ONE MORE
AMERICAN KILLED BY POLICE, THERE IS THE HUMAN ELEMENT BUT THERE
ALSO THE NUMBERS -- ALTON
STERLING WAS THE 550TH PERSON TO
BE SHOT AND KILLED BY A POLICE OFFICER JUST THIS YEAR, AND THE
114TH BLACK MAN IN PARTICULAR TO BE KILLED.
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE
LIKE 13% OF THE POPULATION, OBVIOUSLY MALES HALF OF THAT,
AND 114 IN LESS THAN 190 DAYS OF 2016.
THE NUMBERS TRAGICALLY GO
UP NEARLY EVERY DAY, BUT THERE IS THE HUMAN ELEMENT AS WELL,
AND THE VIDEO WE WILL SHOW YOU NOW, YOU WILL SEE THE MOTHER OF
ALTON STERLING'S OLDEST SON SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
>>THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN HIS MURDER TOOK AWAY A MAN WITH
CHILDREN WHO DEPENDED UPON THEIR DADDY ON A DAILY BASIS.
MY SON
IS NOT THE YOUNGEST, HE IS THE OLDEST OF HIS SIBLINGS.
HE IS 15
YEARS OLD.
HE HAD TO WATCH THIS AS THIS WAS PUT ALL OVER THE
OUTLET, AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS POSSIBLE TO BE SHOWN.
>>[SOBBING]
>>AS SOME MAY, KNOW ALTON SOLD CDS AND WAS DOING JUST THAT, NOT
BOTHERING ANYONE, AND HAD THE CONSENT OF THE STORE OWNERS
AS WELL.
>>THAT IS HEARTBREAKING.
>>AS I'M WATCHING THAT, I'M THINKING, MAN, WHAT IF MY
SIBLING HAD BEEN SHOT, MY BROTHER HAD BEEN SHOT -- WHAT IF
MY FAMILY MEMBER HAD BEEN SHOT?
HOW DEVASTATED WHAT I BE?
I
REMEMBER BEING AT A FUNERAL OF A LOVED ONE SOME YEARS BACK AND I
WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK AND I COULDN'T KEEP IT TOGETHER.
AND
THEN I THOUGHT, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO LOOK
AT THIS AND GO -- AND I KNOW IT BECAUSE WE HAVE COVERED IT IN
THE PAST -- THEY ARE JUST COMPLAINING.
YES, IF SOMEONE I
LOVED WAS KILLED, I GUESS I WOULD COMPLAIN, I GUESS THAT IS
WHAT YOU COULD CALL IT.
IT WAS AN INJUSTICE.
SOME SAY THEY ARE LOOKING TO GET PAID, AND THAT MAKES ME SO
ANGRY I DON'T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>>IT WAS HIS FATHER.
>> AND SOME WILL COME AND BLAME THEM AND SAY, WHERE ARE THE
FATHERS?
WELL, YOU SHOT HIS FATHER.
SO HE'S NOT HERE
ANYMORE.
AND THEY WILL WANT TO BLAME PEOPLE.
AND WE'VE DONE IN
THE PAST.
O'REILLY, NUMBER ONE GUY WHO SAYS WHERE ARE THE
FATHERS, WE SHOWED YOU INCLUDE AFTER CLIP, WE EVEN DID A
MONTAGE OF HIM SAYING WHERE THE FATHERS?
AND IT TURNS OUT YOU
FIND OUT IN DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS, HIS KIDS SAY, WE NEVER SAW OUR
FATHER.
BUT WHEN THEIR LOVED ONE GETS SHOT, NO SYMPATHY.
INSTEAD
OFTEN TIMES BLAMING BLACK CULTURE.
I'M SICK OF IT.
PEOPLE
ON THE RIGHT AND FOX NEWS, THEY SAY BLACK PEOPLE ARE TOO ANGRY.
AND THEY WILL GET ON ME -- BUT I REALLY DON'T THINK THEY ARE
ANGRY ENOUGH.
THAT HAPPENS TO ME, MY LOVED ONES, OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, BELIEVE ME, I WILL BE A HELL OF A LOT MORE ANGRY.
BECAUSE MAYBE THE EXTRA ANGER LEADS TO MORE JUSTICE.
MAYBE WE
NEED TO BE IN THE STREETS MORE, NOT LESS.
AND NOT VIOLENTLY,
BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO STOP VIOLENCE.
THE WHOLE POINT IS TO
STOP VIOLENCE.
BUT YEAH, PROTEST, THAT IS OUR AMERICAN
RIGHT, A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE,
THE CONSTITUTION, THE SECOND AMENDMENT -- THERE IS ALSO
SOMETHING CALLED THE FIRST AMENDMENT WHERE WE GET TO BE IN
THE STREETS, AND THAT IS MONUMENTALLY IMPORTANT.
SHAKE
THE RAFTERS.
THEY HATE THAT KIND OF TALK BECAUSE YOU ARE SUPPOSED
TO BOW YOUR HEAD.
THAT IS EASY TO SAY WHEN YOUR FAMILY MEMBER IS GETTING KILLED.
>>CONSERVATIVES LOVE TO TALK ABOUT LIBERTY BUT THEY PUT LIFE
BEFORE LIBERTY, BECAUSE LIBERTY IS MEANINGLESS IF YOU ARE
KILLED.
AND THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THIS VAGUE IDEA OF SOMEDAY
I MIGHT HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT, THEY
IMAGINE THEY WILL BE IN THE WOODS OF MONTANA DEFENDING
AGAINST TANKS AND DRONES.
BUT WHEN GOVERNMENT AGENTS ACTUALLY
ARE KILLING AMERICANS RECKLESSLY, NEEDLESSLY, IN
NUMBERS THAT NO ONE COULD JUSTIFY, THEY DON'T CARE.
>>IN FACT, THEY ARE THE FIRST ONES TO SUPPORT IT.
>>THERE ARE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW AS WE ARE FILMING THIS, AND AS YOU
ARE WATCHING, WHO ARE TYPING UP COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THIS GUY
DESERVES TO DIE, HE WAS A THUG, A MONSTER -- THE GUY HAD A
CRIMINAL RECORD, THOSE COPS DIDN'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT THAT.
>> AND THE LAST CRIMINAL CONVICTION IS FROM 2000, 16
YEARS AGO.
BUT THE MINUTE ANYONE IS SHOT, THEY ARE NOT THE VICTIM IF
THEY ARE SHOT BY COPS, THEY ARE AT FAULT AND THEY ARE THE
ONES WHO NEED TO BE BLAMED.
>>I THINK THE WHOLE BASIS FOR ANY OF THIS IS THE
DEHUMANIZATION OF PEOPLE.
WE TALK ABOUT HOW FAR WE'VE COME --
IF YOU COMPARE THIS TO ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN OUR HISTORY,
THESE ARE THE DETRACTORS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO SOMETHING,
YOU CAN SAY THAT RACISM ISN'T THE SAME, IT STILL EXISTS IN
THIS COUNTRY, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, IT IS ALL BASED IN
DEHUMANIZING A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE, THEREFORE YOU CAN
JUSTIFY THINGS LIKE THIS, YOU CAN REFER TO A CRIMINAL RECORD
FROM 60 YEARS AGO, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HE HAD A GUN ON HIM, WHICH
THEY DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHETHER HE
LEGALLY OR ILLEGALLY HAD THE GUN, IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE
ALL YOU CAN NOW DO IS DISPARAGE BECAUSE THIS IS A LOWER GROUP OF
PEOPLE.
IN THAT VIDEO I FELT LIKE IT WAS TRAGEDY PORN THE
FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT MADE ME MAD, BUT PEOPLE DON'T
SEE, NOW THIS CHILD, HIS FATHER IS GONE, THEIR HUSBAND, COUSIN,
SON IS GONE, PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY IT.
THIS KID, HE IS 15 NOW.
WHAT IS HE GOING TO BE LIKE AT 20?
WHAT RUN-INS WILL HE HAVE
WITH THE POLICE WHEN HE IS JUST WALKING TO A STORE?
HE WILL GET
FLASHBACKS AND YOU THINK YOU WON'T BE UPSET?
WHOSE FAULT IS
THAT?
AND AS POLICE ARE YELLING, GET ON THE GROUND, AS SHE SAID,
HE HAS TO SEE THAT.
HOW TRAUMATIZING IS THAT?
WE GIVE
ALL THIS CLOUT TO MILITARY GUYS WHO WATCH THEIR BROTHERS GET
KILLED IN BATTLE, THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AT HOME.
WE GIVE PEOPLE
CREDIT FOR FIGHTING WARS BECAUSE THAT SHIT IS DRAMATIC.
IMAGINE
SEEING YOUR FATHER KILLED, THAT SHIT IS DRAMATIC.
PEOPLE COME
BACK FROM WAR WITH PTSD AND THEY HATE THE PERSON WHO LOOKED LIKE
THE GUYS THEY USED TO FIGHT.
YOU THINK THIS KID WILL HATE WHOEVER
LOOKS LIKE THESE COPS?
JUSTIFIABLY?
SO THEN YOU
JUSTIFIABLY HATE SOMEONE WHO MURDERED YOUR FATHER, I MEAN,
IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL.
YOU], IT DOESN'T MATTER, YOU ARE A LOWER
CLASS OF CITIZEN THAN I AM.
I CAN GET MAD, I CAN TALK ABOUT MY
GUNS AND I WILL SHOOT THE FUCKING PRESIDENT ANYTIME I GET
A CHANCE TO, OR WAIT UNTIL THEY KNOCK ON MY DOOR, I'VE GOT 10
GUNS -- WHAT KIND OF SHIT IS THAT?
YOU COULD SAY THAT AND YOU
ARE A PROUD AMERICAN BECAUSE YOU ARE AN AMERICAN, THIS KID ISN'T.
HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO HAVE THOSE FEELINGS OR TO BE MAD.
THAT'S
WHY I WANTED TO RUN THAT VIDEO OF HIM CRYING, BECAUSE THAT'S
WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW.
EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO STOP
CRYING AND HE WILL BE UPSET ABOUT THIS.
AND THE WAY YOU
TREAT PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP DOING IT.
IT IS THE
DEHUMANIZATION OF JUST CERTAIN FOLKS.
AND WE GET TO KEEP ON
MOVING ON BY IT, AND CENK AT THE BEGINNING YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT
BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER, IF YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR
LIFE, JUST GO AHEAD AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS WRONG YOU GOT TO
COMPLY SOMETIMES -- IT HAS HAPPENED SO LONG, YOU GET TIRED
OF IT.
ANGER AND PRIDE IN YOUR LIFE IS BUILT UP ENOUGH, THERE
ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN ENOUGH POSITIVE MESSAGES TO EACH OTHER
TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU ARE NOT A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN,
ASK THE COPS, WHY ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?
OTHER GUYS ON
VIDEO WHO HAVE DIED HAVE SAID THAT, LEAVE ME ALONE.
THAT WAS
RIGHT BEFORE I CAN'T BREATHE.
BUT HE'S A BAD GUY FOR SAYING
LEAVE ME ALONE.
JUST COMPLY, DO WHAT THE COPS TELL YOU -- THE
COPS ARE THERE TO FUCK WITH THEM.
ALL OF US HAVE EXPRESSED IT.
>>THAT IS A POINT, MY POINT IS SHORT-TERM/LONG-TERM.
SHORT-TERM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE.
LONG-TERM WE HAVE TO FIX
THE TRAINING AND THE CULTURE, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO THAT WE
WOULD GET A LOT MORE OF THESE DEATHS.
THERE IS A MOST
ONE-A-DAY OF A BLACK GUY BEING SHOT BY COPS AND KILLED --
ALMOST ONE-A-DAY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THEN THEY GO, WHAT
ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT?
I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT YOU KILLING
ME.
AND I'VE GOT EVERY RIGHT TO DO THAT, AND A CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT TO DO THAT, AN AMERICAN RIGHT TO DO THAT, AND I'VE GOT A
RIGHT TO GET REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.
THAT IS IN THE
CONSTITUTION.
SO YOU NEED TO FIX THE SYSTEM AND WE WILL NOT STOP
UNTIL YOU FIX IT.
AS JAYAR WAS TALKING I WAS TAKING ABOUT, WHAT
IF IT WAS MY DAD?
I KNOW I SAID IT EARLIER BUT THEN I THOUGHT, I
KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVED MY DAD WHEN I WAS 15.
I STILL LOVE HIM
LIKE CRAZY.
IF SOMEONE SHOT MY DAD WHEN I WAS 15, HOW MUCH WHAT
I HATE THEM?
WHAT WOULD I DO WITH THAT RAGE?
AND WHAT WOULD I
DO THE REST OF MY LIFE?
AND ON TOP OF THAT, IF HE WERE TO DO
ANYTHING WRONG THE REST OF HIS LIFE, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD
TURN AROUND AND SAY?
OH, YEAH.
TYPICAL, DIDN'T HAVE A FATHER
GROWING UP.
AND WHO MADE THAT HAPPEN?
NOT ANGRY ENOUGH, IF YOU
ASK ME.