A powerful moment occurred late this afternoon in Congress when dozens of staffers walked out of their jobs and stood on the Capitol steps. There, they raised their hands and symbolically joined the growing protests spawned by grand jury decisions which failed to indict those officers which killed Eric Garner and Michael Brown, not to mention the continued killing of unarmed black citizens by police and suppression of protests.
Staffers raise their hands, gesturing "Hands Up, Don't Shoot."
This stand by staffers, a powerful gesture now echoing from the place in which our nation's laws are made, come as protests and die-ins across the country,
particularly on college campuses, continue to spread.
Indeed, such protests have even made their way into the world of professional sports, long a bastion of neutrality amidst corporate interests and deep pockets. Many NBA stars, including Lebron James, have been wearing "I Can't Breathe" shirts, as has NFL running back Reggie Bush.
It's an indication that a tipping point has finally occurred with regard to the injustices black Americans have long suffered at the hands of police and the justice system.
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David Harris-Gershon is author of the memoir What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?, recently published by Oneworld Publications.