Our lives mean just as much

I’m sad about the state of things in Toronto.

How many young Black people do these little thugs need to shoot before the politicians do something? None.

It takes a young white woman.

Now, the shooting of Jane Creba was disgusting and, really, whoever did it needs to be buried under the jail, but did Jane Creba’s life mean more than Livvette Miller’s? Livvette was completely innocent, trying to have a little fun one night to get over her husband’s death from an illness.

And she was shot to death. Livvette left behind four children.

The politicians talked.

Then it got quiet and life moved on.

OK, not that it makes a difference, but Livvette was in a club, while Jane was just on Yonge St. Maybe Livvette should have known that she could possibly get murdered while tapping her foot to some tunes. No one would expect to be gunned down in a public shopping area like Yonge and Elm.

So, what about 11-year-old Tamara Carter who was shot in the face on a TTC bus in November 2004?

You don’t get anymore innocent than being a child traveling with her mom on public transportation… which is supposed to be safe. I'm sure neither Tamara nor her mother thought that she would have been a victim of gun violence on a bus.

But, you do take your chances when you leave the house.

Oh, what about 4-year-old Shaquan Cadougan? He was playing in front of his house when he was shot in December 2004.

Well, both Tamara and Shaquan are alive, thank God.

I really wish we could say the same about Jane and Livvette.

This is to prove no one was more innocent than anyone else. You have four innocent people who are victims of gun violence. We're not talking about a drug dealer who knows what his business involves -- although, that drug dealer is still someone's child/brother/uncle/father. But you make your decisions and you live or die with the consequences.

These four were are equally innocent, going on with their lives, doing nothing that should have put them in harm's way.

So, why are people more upset about Jane Creba? Maybe it's because a federal election is coming up and Paul Martin/Steven Harper/Jack Layton all want to seem tough on guns and violence.

All three can kiss muh ass, to tell you the truth.

Tragedy is tragedy regardless of who the victim is and I know I shouldn’t be shocked or surprised that people are up in arms moreso when a white person is killed in gun violence which, lately, has targeted Black people.

But just because we’re used to hearing about Jamal/Omar/Kadeem or whoever being killed in the streets of Toronto doesn’t mean people should get used to our suffering.

That doesn’t mean that politicians should have meetings about gun violence once a white person is gunned down, but could have cared less and only paid lip service when Black people are at the receiving end of a gun.

The politicians should have had their summit when Livvette Miller caught a bullet and her kids were left orphaned. Or when Tamara Carter face was blown through last winter. Or when little Shaquan had to fight for his life at Sick Kids' instead of going to school.

And don’t anyone tell me Black people are playing the race card – this society is based on race. It's very easy for someone who doesn't live in this skin to make comments about how we should feel or what we, as a community, should do without taking into account what has been done to our community and the disadvantages we still face as a group.

Many of us have done very well for ourselves, but as a collective there is a long way for us to go.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jane’s family and friends. I don’t know how they will – if they will – get over her killing. It was just so senseless.

But so are the killing of innocent Black people or innocent Asian people or innocent anyone.