Puppet Master

   We are lost in an action film, the sounds of pounding feet, shouts and breaking glass are the musical score and the smoke and heat blanketing the street are the special effects. This insanity has to be fiction, real people aren’t monsters that destroy property, raze neighborhoods and attack and kill others! But as I sit in the middle of Main Street cradling my dying sister in my arms, I know this is my reality, not a high budget action film.

  Tears make long furrows down her soot stained cheeks and blood trickles from the corner of her mouth unto my sleeve. 

“I love you, Munchie.” She softly whispers.

“I’m so sorry, Kara. You were right we shouldn’t have come tonight.” I sobbed leaning my head against hers.

 “Not your fault, I thought it was for Henry, but it wasn’t….. these people are.......only out here for the chaos……they are creating.  Tell Mom and Dad I am….sorry.” Her lashes flutter as her once lustrous eyes fade, her lids close slowly, never to open again.

 “Kara! Kara! No don’t leave me, I’m so sorry, so sorry……

 “Young man, let me help you get her out of here.” 

I look up into kind eyes, filled with compassion; his face is haunted by the tragedy that is swirling around us. He leans down and gently lifts Kara into his arms and signals to another officer that he is taking us somewhere safer. As he takes us behind the barrier, I see the looks of pity and sorrow these officers give me. I had thought, no I’d been told that they were the enemy, but what I see is a group of men and women just trying to help stop the violence and chaos that has ensued because of one despicable person, that never should have been in uniform in the first place.

           * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * * * * 

12 hours earlier

 “I cannot believe this crap, another mayor suspending an officer for tasering a suspect who was resisting arrest! It’s incredible.” His Dad growled into the news paper.

 “Honey, we’re eating breakfast, can we discuss this later?

 “No Mom! We need to talk about this now.” Keith demanded.

 “Cops are attacking the black community, and they need to be punished.”

 “What happened to Henry Marvel was horrific, nobody and I mean NOBODY is denying that. But that was a rogue cop, he’s been arrested and charged. He will be tried and prosecuted. The whole police force should not be condemned because of the crimes of one.” His Dad told him.

“That’s not enough, look at what you just read to us, cops tasering people!  That’s not okay!” Keith argued.

“Those people had committed a crime and were resisting arrest, they have to be held accountable for what they do and police have to be able to do their jobs, to keep the community safe.” His Dad explained.

 “And who holds the cops accountable!” Keith shouted as he jumped up from his seat.

  “The federal government, other officers, society. If it didn’t work then the ‘cop’ who killed Henry Marvel, wouldn’t be in custody now, he has not got away with what he did! That is what being held accountable looks like.”

“There are lots of others.” Keith said adamantly.

  “Who? Please be specific.” 

  “I don’t know their names off the top of my head.”

  “How can you or I prove your right or wrong without any specifics?”     

  “Your racists just like the cops!”

“Keith! …. Have I ever taught you to look down at a person because of the color of their skin?”

“No.”

“Have I not taught you that every man is equal, that no one is better than the other, and that we are all brothers and sisters in Gods eye.”

 “Yes, but the media says…..”

 “I care what God says, not the media, politicians or celebrities.” I taught you to use your brain, to study up on things that are happening, not to blindly follow the masses into hysteria or worse.”

“I know, but…..”   

“But what? Why did you call me racist? Was it because I didn’t agree with what you were saying? That is exactly what the media does, if they can't substantiate their point they cry racism. I taught you better than that!”

“ But on the social media site I was on they said that 85% of cops attack innocent blacks, it’s an epidemic!”

“Keith, open your eyes, those sites are meant to enflame people, they lie and twist what is really happening to fit their agenda.” Keith glared at his Dad, he didn’t believe that, it wouldn’t be on the news if it wasn’t facts.

“What happened to that poor man, is not a race issue. It is a human rights issue, an issue of a police officer, thinking he is above the laws he’s meant to uphold, it’s about one sick human being refusing to care about the sanctity of life.  Son there will always be some narrow minded bigots that are racist, white, black, brown, it’s not exclusive. You need to realize that most people are not like that. Think about the people you see everyday at the store or at school or at the fast food restaurant, they are the same as you and me.   Are they looking down on you? Are you looking down on them? Or are you just going about your day, seeing people going about their everyday lives, no conflict, no strife. Until you have an horrific incident happen and instead seeing a sick individual that needs to be put in prison for his crime and a family that has lost a loved one, we have people deflecting it to scream about racism and police brutality.” His dad told him.

“Well I want to go the the protest tonight, to show that I know what happened was wrong!”

“I’m glad your becoming a young man of strong convictions, but you are not going to that protest, what is happening at these gatherings is way beyond Henry Marvel or any equality protest.” Keith grudgingly nodded to his Dad and left the room, with his sister trailing behind him.

“I don’t care what Dad said, I’m going to the protest tonight to make my voice heard…..Come with me Kara, it’ll be fun.” 

“I don’t know, I’ve seen some of the protests turn violent.” Kara

frowned thinking of the images she’d seen.

“That’s only because the cops harass the protestors.”

“But what are we protesting against? I haven’t heard a single person try to defend that cop who did this, everyone from the president and other police officers to joe blow on the street, thinks it was horrific and wrong.”  

“We are protesting the cops who use brutality against black people!”  Keith shouted at her, then got real quiet hoping his parents weren’t listening.

“I think the whole population of the United States is on the same page regarding police brutality, its wrong against anyone, that’s why they arrest those who commit it, Munchie.” Keith popped a cheez ball in his mouth and he rolled his eyes at her use of his nick name. 

“Don’t you feel bad for Henry Marvel?”

“Of course I do! What happened to him should never happen to a human being.” Kara cried.

“Then go for that, if nothing else.”

“Okay I’ll go with you.”

“I’m going to make a sign to take, just make sure you don’t let Mom or Dad know, we’ll sneak out after they leave for bowling.” Kara agreed and went to her room to make her own sign.

  After their parents had left Kara came down stairs with her sign, it said;

                  STOP THE VIOLENCE

               SKIN COLOR IS JUST THE

                                WRAPPING

                    WE ARE ALL THE SAME

                                    INSIDE

 “Really Kara! That’s all you could come up with!” Keith scowled at her.

 “What’s wrong with my sign? You told me, you’re going tonight to make your voice heard, that’s what I’m trying to do. I believe we are all God’s children, no matter our skin color. And ALL the violence needs to stop.  

 What does your sign say?” Keith turned his sign around for his sister.

                         AN EYE FOR AN EYE

                        JUSTICE FOR HENRY!

 She scowled at his sign, but didn’t say anything.

 “What do you think?” he prodded her.

 “You really want to know?”

 “Of course I do, why, you don’t like it?” Keith started getting angry.

 “I just think you could have picked a more peaceful message is all.” She told her brother.

 “That cop needs to pay, so do all others like him!”

 “Don’t we have a judicial system for that? Who are you now Judge, Jury and executioner?”

“Just stay home; I don’t want you with me with your kumbaya attitude.”

“I thought we were going to pay our respects to Henry and show we don’t want something like this to happen ever again. What is this about for you, justice or revenge?”

“I’m leaving, you sound just like Dad, and I’m sick of it. I keep up with 

Social media, I know what’s happening, you can stick your head in the sand if you want but I’m going to demand justice.” With that he grabbed his sign and slammed out the door. Kara sighed and followed her brother out into the night.

 Keith knew Kara was about 25 feet behind him but he refused to wait or speak to her. They still had a couple of blocks to go before they got to the meeting place for the protest. A car pulled up beside him,

 “Hey Dude, here’s some material for the protest.” The guy handed him a couple of bricks, laughing as he drove away.

 What the heck was that about, Keith thought with disgust. He was glad Kara was aways behind him, because he could just imagine what she would have said about that. He dropped the bricks and listened, he could hear people chanting. He glanced behind and saw Kara was still following him and soon he was absorbed into the mass of people. 

“Justice for Henry”

 “Stop the slaughter.” Was the battle cry and Keith joined the chorus, but soon the tone changed,

“Death to the cops” someone shouted then others echoed the yell.

 Keith watched as a group of teens threw bricks through the window of Mr. Carlson’s Barber shop. Mr. Carlson was a kind elderly black man, who always had a smile on his face and candy for the kids. He and his Dad had been getting haircuts there since before he could walk. Why would they do that to his business? Next they vandalized the Mikes market, Keith watched as people ran in and came out with arms full of cigarettes and food, a couple of guys dragged out the clerk. They pushed him into the street and started beating him with a skateboard. Flames erupted a few feet away from Keith when someone threw a Molotov cocktail into a vehicle that had been parked on the street. Keith was shocked, why were they destroying things and attacking people, he had believed all the stories of violence and destruction had been just propaganda to stop the protests. At least that's what they said on the news and social media platforms.

He saw the guy that had given him the bricks earlier, he had a baseball bat and was hitting anybody who was unfortunate enough to get close. What did any of this have to do with Henry Marvel? What did it have to do with police brutality against blacks?  Keith saw black, white and brown people being attacked and businesses being destroyed by whites, browns and blacks alike. There was unity in the destruction, meaning no one and nothing was safe. Kara! He had to find her. He dropped his sign and turned and ran. He frantically looked for his sister but chaos had taken over the streets. There were two types of people now, those seeking refuge from the violence and destruction and those who were causing the violence and destruction.

 He saw people carrying TV’s, computers and phones out of an electronics shop. And people trashing the bakery, but he didn’t see his sister. He heard someone behind him yell ‘Cops’ then people scattered as he heard loud popping sounds going off.  Smoke billowed and filled the street as more businesses caught fire.   Finally he spotted his sister about 15 feet ahead of him; the fire highlighted her profile like a giant spotlight. He screamed her name but she didn’t hear him, she was struggling against a tall man who was gripping her arm. Keith ran as fast as he could to get to her, he screamed her name with every step. When she heard him call her name their eyes met, his urgent, hers filled with fear.

Time froze when he saw the flash of a blade, the fire illuminated it as it swung downward and was buried in his sister’s chest. He reached her only seconds after; he sank to his knees and gently gathered her into his arms. He cradled her to his chest fearing it was too late. Why? Why?

 Keith cried for help as people streamed around them, some stopped to film them with their phones, but none of them offered any help. Insanity ruled the night.

“Young man, let me help you…………

     * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Satan snickered as he watched the chaos and suffering from afar.

Humans were so easy to manipulate.