{"id":2295,"date":"2015-07-24T12:41:33","date_gmt":"2015-07-24T12:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bettina-network.com\/blog\/?p=2295"},"modified":"2018-09-17T16:49:43","modified_gmt":"2018-09-17T16:49:43","slug":"sandra-bland-strange-fruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettinanetwork.com\/blog\/archives\/2295","title":{"rendered":"Sandra Bland – Strange Fruit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"images\"<\/a>Once upon a time, the “Strange Fruit, hanging from the trees” used to be from trees with green leaves, a trunk and branches growing up from the ground splattered with red.<\/p>\n

Today, the “Strange Fruit, hanging from the trees” is hanging from man-made trees with blue reflected all around.<\/p>\n

But look! \u00a0Isn’t that the old white cloth under the blue?<\/p>\n

And aren’t those tall pointy white hats pushing out from under the official issued uniform?<\/p>\n

Really strange and awful fruit, rapidly spreading the disease of racism all across the country.<\/p>\n

Being covered up\u00a0by fear – that fear keeping those who could act from doing so.<\/p>\n

Why! \u00a0Oh God, Why!<\/p>\n

This strange fruit is is Black and female –<\/p>\n

the fear is that\u00a0riots will invade those lovely, green, middle-class communities.<\/p>\n

Rather let the strange fruit multiply and just hang there in silence. \u00a0Much better than to act. \u00a0The sacrifice of the few for the many.<\/p>\n

But doesn’t that spread? \u00a0isn’t it happening more rapidly?<\/p>\n

Terrorism?<\/p>\n

Not from the Middle East!<\/p>\n

White – Male – Conservative – with strings into the groups of old<\/p>\n

The Klan, the Citizens Council, the neoNazi \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.why bother with a list, you know the names<\/p>\n

This isn’t simply racism – this is Racism and Sexism.<\/p>\n

Life is becoming ever more strange and silent.<\/p>\n

The silent majority is back and in control!<\/p>\n

Let the media slip in little bits and pieces to make it sound less awful; less threatening; let us not place blame where it belongs, but obfuscate.<\/p>\n

Won’t that protect those of us who count?<\/p>\n

Homicide, murder, reduced to a paid vacation, sometimes called Administrative leave – which happens before exoneration.<\/p>\n