Where Do We Go From Here?

Just issues, news, and other stuff that matters to you [Fusion] July 8, 2016 🌎 This week comes to an end with three national tragedies—and I’m only counting the ones involving black lives and police. [Alton Sterling] was shot by a police officer while pinned to the ground. [Philando Castile] was killed by a cop during a traffic stop while reaching for his ID. And then last night, [five members of the Dallas police force] died in a sniper attack during a Black Lives Matter protest organized for the lives of these two men. Each of these violent acts reveals America’s increasingly strained relationship with our criminal justice system and guns, which is at boiling point. I’ll be spending the weekend reflecting on this, what my message is in the midst of tragedy, and how I’ll be channeling my feelings into [actions]. Take care of yourselves. Here’s “[Glory]” by John Legend and Common for a dose of hope. —[Darian Symoné Harvin] TODAY IN... TRAGEDIES These are the five officers killed during the [Black Lives Matter protest]. THE SECOND AMENDMENT Texas' open carry laws can highlight underlying racial issues, as it did when a Dallas protester carrying a rifle was [mistakenly identified] last night as a person of interest. SILENCES The NRA’s [unwillingness] to address the death of licensed gun holder Philando Castile is so deafening, its members are starting to call them out. DOG WHISTLES Whether they were [upstanding citizens or felons] shouldn’t matter in the way we talk about the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. PHOTOS The Root has [powerful] and moving images from the last 72 hours in Baton Rouge, LA.; Falcon Heights, MN.; and Dallas. THE READ [The Dallas Police Used a ‘Bomb Robot’ to Kill a Shooting Suspect. That’s a Really Big Deal.] [DanielRivero_b&w] by Daniel Rivero Early Friday morning, a police standoff with a suspect in the [killing of five police officers in Dallas] came to an abrupt end on Friday morning in an unusual way. “Negotiations broke down. We had an exchange of gunfire with the suspect,” Dallas police chief David Brown explained in a press conference. “We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was.” You read that correctly: “bomb robot.” Typically, in violent standoffs involving gunfire, [police wait out the suspects], or try to deploy snipers of their own to remove the threat. The general rule is that if police are not directly under threat of taking fire, they should try to bring home the suspect alive. Brown, though, said the robot was the only choice the force had. “Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger. The suspect is deceased,” he said. [Read more] LET'S TALK ABOUT A BREAK [#CareFreeBlackKids2k16] is a reminder that no one can [steal the joy] of black youth. [Facebook] [Twitter] [Vine] [Instagram] [Youtube] Remember, you can always [click here to unsubscribe] and never see another one of these emails until the apocalypse (at which time it'll be nothing but emails). This email was sent to {EMAIL} Fusion · 419 Lafayette St · New York, NY 10003 · USA