Riots in Oakland

I have heard said that Oakland has never had race riots, which is amazing considering the diversity of the city. I wouldn't call last night's events "race riots" yet but it feels like they're getting there.

I left work at 8pm last night and the security guard asked if I was taking BART. I said no, and she said good, because people that were protesting at Fruitvale have moved to 12th St City Center to protest. Hmm, I thought, did they walk from Fruitvale? I left my office at 22nd and Broadway, and didn't see any big commotion on the street. Walking the block to my parking garage, everything seemed fine on a foggy January evening. I had no idea cars were being torched and police had riot gear on only ten blocks west. It was not a protest anymore.

I'm glad I took the freeway home. Sometimes I drive straight down to Broadway and turn left onto 11th which merges onto 14th Avenue or International Avenue. I don't know what would happened if I had driven straight into the anger last night.

I understand the anger and the outrage. But local businesses and minority store owners in downtown Oakland had windows smashed and cars burned. One protestor replied to a black small business owner's frustration with her braid store's broken windows by saying "At least she only lost her business, and not her life." I can't believe that person said that. And in this economy, do you really want to go around bringing down more businesses and creating more unemployment especially for your brothers and sister of color? Are you that casual about what having a job means and the need for income? Do you want this store owner to pay with her life, as she holds her daughter, because a BART police officer at 2am on New Year's Eve accidentally killed a handcuffed man on his stomach? I'm not glossing over it - I think a criminal investigation needs to happen, as it is - but what price do you want? How many pounds of Oakland flesh do you want for justice?

And how the FUCK does a police officer seem to accidentally reach for his taser and end up shooting and killing the person?!? First of all, he's on his stomach and handcuffed. Ok, you still think he's a threat and you feel like taser is needed. The threat is not so imminent that you need to grab the quickest thing and use it. It appears clear on the cell phone videos by BART passengers that the officers seem surprised by the gun going off and look at each other, like "uhh.. what just happened?" Could you make the taser not in a freaking shape of a gun?! That seems to be a good idea, to start with.

I'm touched by the victim's family asking for peace in this, even if they're suing. I think you have to sue, to bring attention to the misuse of police weapons.

And to top this stressful week off also, on top of the electricity being out for my top floor for two nights, I came home late last night to see Mitch outside on the top deck of my unit, meowing. WTF?! I ran up and brought him in but couldn't find Nora. I started freaking out. Maintenance guys had let my cats out accidentally I realized. I could not find Nora on the deck, in the backyard, anywhere. I didn't know how long the had been locked out (though I realized later it was about four hours). I started walking up and down the street with a flashlight and mousies but I felt like it was hopeless. I prayed desperately, and God was gracious. I went up to the deck one more time and swung my flashlight to the house next door and saw Nora sitting, scared, on their back steps. I threw her a mousie in an attempt to keep her there and ran around, trespassed frantically into their backyard, and thank God Nora was still sitting on the top of the stairs, looking trapped. I picked her up and started crying. So stressful but really, thank you God that I found her in an hour. Otherwise it would be have been a long couple of days putting posters up and going to the SCPA.

Tired.