by Pa Rock
Poetry Appreciator
Antwon Rose, Jr. is being buried today. He was a seventeen-year-old honor student who was gunned down by a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, policeman last Tuesday evening. Rose, a black youth, made a bad decision when the vehicle in which he was riding was pulled over by police - he chose to run. Of course, other young black men - like Philando Castile of Minnesota - have been shot while sitting in their cars while trying to cooperate with police requests, so Antwon Rose may have felt that he had a better chance of survival if he ran.
In the end he was little more than moving target practice for a novice policeman.
The death of Antwon Rose is one more outrage that our country continues to perpetrate on young black men. He was running away from the incident and posing a threat to no one when a young policeman felt the need to shoot him not once, not twice, but three times in the back. Antwon's life mattered to many people, but apparently not to the man with the gun who chose to bring the lad's life to an end.
Black lives matter. That statement gets my neighbors angry because they see it as some sort of denial of the importance of the lives of others - particularly white lives and blue (police officer) lives. But that is not what it's about. All lives matter, that's a given, but society must remind itself that black lives matter because for centuries black lives have not mattered. Perhaps if the slogan was "Black lives matter, too" it would resonate better - but probably not.
Antwon Rose mattered to his family, and to his friends, and to his school and community - and he should matter to all of us because his death diminishes ourselves and our civilization.
Being killed by police was something that Antwon Rose had worried about for some time, and it was the subject of a poem that he wrote for his honors English class on May 16th, 2106. That poem, "I Am Not What You Think," is today's poetry selection.
Rest in peace, Antwon. Your light will be missed.
I Am Not What You Think
Poetry Appreciator
Antwon Rose, Jr. is being buried today. He was a seventeen-year-old honor student who was gunned down by a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, policeman last Tuesday evening. Rose, a black youth, made a bad decision when the vehicle in which he was riding was pulled over by police - he chose to run. Of course, other young black men - like Philando Castile of Minnesota - have been shot while sitting in their cars while trying to cooperate with police requests, so Antwon Rose may have felt that he had a better chance of survival if he ran.
In the end he was little more than moving target practice for a novice policeman.
The death of Antwon Rose is one more outrage that our country continues to perpetrate on young black men. He was running away from the incident and posing a threat to no one when a young policeman felt the need to shoot him not once, not twice, but three times in the back. Antwon's life mattered to many people, but apparently not to the man with the gun who chose to bring the lad's life to an end.
Black lives matter. That statement gets my neighbors angry because they see it as some sort of denial of the importance of the lives of others - particularly white lives and blue (police officer) lives. But that is not what it's about. All lives matter, that's a given, but society must remind itself that black lives matter because for centuries black lives have not mattered. Perhaps if the slogan was "Black lives matter, too" it would resonate better - but probably not.
Antwon Rose mattered to his family, and to his friends, and to his school and community - and he should matter to all of us because his death diminishes ourselves and our civilization.
Rest in peace, Antwon. Your light will be missed.
I Am Not What You Think
by Antwon Rose
I am confused and afraid
I wonder what path I will take
I hear there is only two ways out
I see mother’s bury their sons
I want my mom to never feel that pain
I am confused and afraid
I wonder what path I will take
I hear there is only two ways out
I see mother’s bury their sons
I want my mom to never feel that pain
I am confused and afraid
I pretend all is fine
I feel like I am suffocating
I touch nothing so I believe all is fine
I worry that it isn’t though
I cry no more
I am confused and afraid
I feel like I am suffocating
I touch nothing so I believe all is fine
I worry that it isn’t though
I cry no more
I am confused and afraid
I understand people believe I am just a statistic
I say to them I am different
I dream of life getting easier
I try my best to make my dream come true
I hope that it does
I am confused and afraid
I say to them I am different
I dream of life getting easier
I try my best to make my dream come true
I hope that it does
I am confused and afraid
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