The Mike Brown Rebellion Has Begun

Editor’s note: Tef Poe is known as one of the best rappers telling the story of St. Louis. We are reprinting excerpts from his complete article published at http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com.
“My body is fatigued as I type this. At this point I have been out in the streets of North County for what feels like an eternity. I am confused and dazed by what has taken place in my city . . . Mike Brown was shot down like a dog in the street, and the Ferguson police refuse to give us answers. His killer remains free, uncharged and shielded by the badge. . . we’ve all watched Mike Brown’s parents grieve.
“We have protested for justice and encountered a cruelty that resembles the brutality of the Jim Crow demonstrations in the 1960s. President Obama gave an address recently, and even he tacitly endorsed this treatment by referring to us as “violent protesters.” I have seen men and women, both black and white, beaten and rounded up like cattle. I’ve seen officers forcefully push the barrels of assault rifles into the faces of the people they have sworn to protect. A bold, trigger-happy army occupying the streets of Ferguson. This is not a normal police force. This is a completely militarized group of wild cowboys. They lack discipline and have even aimed their guns at the media.
“Missouri is one of the most racially backward places in the United States. The scales of power in my city are completely unbalanced, and the poverty gap is irrefutable. St. Louis County stays afloat through the revenue collected from speeding tickets. These tickets stockpile and turn into warrants. Black people and poor white people are arrested for petty offenses on the regular. Black people in St. Louis have been stomped to the ground like roaches but are expected to simply pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. As a young black man I feel defeated. I feel as if everyone has failed us.
“Prior to this I disliked the police, but I wouldn’t say I hated them. Now, that has changed. Why? Because I feel as though they hate us. . . Originally I did not know nor think that the death of Mike Brown would become such a horrifically historical moment. But now my eyes have witnessed armored vehicles and body-armored soldiers in the streets of a suburban community that I once considered home. We are fighting the militarization of our neighborhood. If we fail, then this agenda will spread to other cities with a high minority populations, such as LA, Chicago, Memphis, Baltimore, New York and Detroit.
“. . .  you have to understand the feelings associated with seeing your hometown go up in smoke . . .  I never imagined I’d one day see armored vehicles on these grounds. North County has suddenly turned into the Middle East. . .
“Once a person gets over the initial fear of dying or going to jail, there’s essentially nothing the police can really do to you. At this moment, many of the young men and women in Mike Brown’s age bracket are not afraid to die. We are also not afraid to sleep in a jail cell if it means we are pushing the agenda of justice further.
“The Mike Brown Rebellion has begun, and I believe we will win.“Water needs to be provided to all based on need”