That Ain't Love...

 

Gavin Long expressing admiration for Micah Johnson, days before he would imitate his crimes (Photo: Heavy.com)

After watching videos posted by the Gavin Long and reading the "manifesto" of Micah Johnson I'm convinced that the only things they had in common were a crushing sense of isolation and exposure to training that allowed them to carry out their murders. Initially, I thought this might be a case of fellow veterans not getting the mental help they needed before they went off the rails but the more I see what they've written, what they've said, and the lives they led I see a pattern of selfishness. Shooting those officers wasn't about black liberation. Their actions are no different than Dylan Roof who wrapped himself up in the American flag, called himself a patriot, then proceeded to murder 9 people in a bible study. Or Anders Breivik who murdered 77 people, 69 of them children, in the name of protecting his country. Or Nidal Hassan, the Army Major who murdered his own troops supposedly in defense of Islam. These people aren't heroes willing to do "what's necessary." They're arrogant narcissists who think they and they alone are willing to do what others will not. It never occurs to these murderers whether who their targeting is actually responsible for their grievances or the hypocrisy of taking defenseless, often unsuspecting lives in defense of whatever crackpot ideology they believe in. In the end, they're nothing more than perpetually selfish children who think their view of the world is the only one that matters and they're willing to kill to prove it.  Can you think of a better definition of a narcissist?

Montrell Jackson's last social media post before being killed by Gavin Long. (Photo: Abc7.com)

Despite what certain media outlets are peddling, Johnson and Long don't represent Black Lives Matter, they don't represent any black men I have the honor of calling friend, and they damned sure don't represent me. Real martyrs sacrifice themselves to save the lives of other people not set off a political bomb that accomplishes nothing but increase scrutiny on an already overpoliced people.  They've helped no one.  They've done nothing but given the media yet another reason to deflect, blame, dismiss and even justify heavy-handed police tactics against black people.  As my favorite group Little Brother would say...if this is love, I don't want to see hate.