You have answered MLK’s call to a peaceful protest and now find yourself face to face with police dogs and fire hoses. What was running through your mind as these officials attack you and your friends so violently?
All I could possibly be thinking at that time was how it was worth my pain. Dogs bite and fire hoses hurt, yes, but I'm truly hoping that someday, my suffering will mean that my own grandchildren can live in a better world. I do this for the future, and I can only force myself to think about that as I withstand the pain, and go out the next day to do just that. I cannot let them win anymore, or our entire fight will be in vain.
I am only a kid and I have no idea why the police and fire men would want to hurt us. We never did anything wrong, we did not hurt anyone, we did not damage or steal property of others- we just sat in a church and stood on a lawn. The hoses hurt real bad but if we made a game out of avoiding them it was more fun. At one point i was running through the spray or the water and it was very cooling. The dogs are what scared me. They were unforgiving and seemed to have no heart like all the other dogs that I had ever meet. In the end though, I can only be happy for what I did today. Mama and Father seemed very proud of me and I learned a huge lesson- I did nothing wrong so I have nothign to be asshamed of. As long as I do not fight and as long as I keep my hope, freedom will come.
Who would have thought that water could hurt so badly? As my friends and I were thrown towards a wall by the brutal force of the fire hose water, all I could think about was, "what did we do to deserve this?" My mother later told me that I did nothing wrong, and that she was in fact proud of my courage. The only thing worse than the fire hoses was the dogs. Their viciousness was unbearing, and I think that I was more scared in that moment than I have been in a long time. My mother keeps telling me to keep my head up, because we will somehow find better days.
to this day i will never understand what kind of a monster would ever desire to harm children such as myself. Standing small and harmless words could never compare to the pain and violence i have been through at such a young age. I have never acted out against society, i am an average child living up to my standards and trying to find a place in life where i can feel belonged. Them hoses reminded me that i do not fit in, as the forceful water violently threw me down my friends and i tried to make the most of it. Being attacked my angry dogs is what gets me the most, i wake up in my sleep every night as i see their glowing eyes running towards me. I do not believe in violence therefore i would never harm or hurt anyone, i believe that over time the wrong will differ from the right and we will have what is deserved.
as i am attacked i begin to wonder if everthing i am doing is worth it. why do i want to be treated as an equal to the type of person who harms children intentually? then i remember as the water hits me and the dogs bite me, everyone is different in some way however they still are all human and should be treated as humans not as black or white, boy or girl, mean or nice, tall or short. we all have faces, hands, ears, eyes, mouths, and should all be treated as so. all the other things make up our personalities but when they are put together we are the same. i do not becomee agery because fighting back not teach these people the lesson they need to learn and if by spraying me with water and letting your dogs bite me makes you feel better thats fine because at the end of the day you will have still learned a lesson. i will accept you harsh actions with a smile on my face because i know that one day the water and dogs will stop and our lessons will be learned and accepted.
I am still in awe on how we can stand for such good and go about our business peacefully and still be attacked by the police! The police are supposed to protect the public! We are the public, we shouldn't ever be threatened and attacked by dogs and hoses, It just isnt fair and it just isnt right. I just cant believe there are so many people who want to take away our chance at living a normal life, just because we are a little diffrent than them. If all the whites had the courage and intelligence of Martin Luther King, they would be able to see through the color of our skin and would be able to give us a chance and show us the compassion every human has the right to. I know this experiance has scared me and it is one i will never forget, the continuing denial of our rights just makes me upset. It makes me wonder how we will ever gain rights when there are people like this living in our country acting as our police and government officals and bankers and every job you can imagine. It just isnt fair!
As I was exposed to gallons of water and the vicious teeth of dogs within seconds, I couldn't help but think in awe of the insane hypocrisy of these people, who were chosen to protect the innocent and keep the peace, attacking us--unarmed, peaceful protesters! However, I did not fight back. How could I anyway? I was on the ground, beaten, bloody, broken, and abused. Even as I think back to events like that, I also remember Dr. King's vision--a world in which all men are treated as equals, not just a select few. And so, I strengthen my resolve and continue my work, no matter what they throw at me.
As i look at the blood running down my legs and all around me dogs just chasing down friends that i know, i begin to wonder what this racism as come down to. I never believed violence between whites on our kind would be here like devil's work. All i want in my life is a place where whites and blacks can exist together in peace but this is far from any of our dreams. Then we ask, how far must we go, how much must we suffer so that whites can realize this foolishness? God knows and he is watching over us helping us prove our point. All i know is that if it takes a year to fight for freedom we will fight, if it takes the rest of our lives we will fight, we will fight forever.
When my son Joe Donnelly came home last night, I could see road burns all over his arm. Joe eventually explained how he obtained the road burns and indeed, it was disturbing. My son told me while he was protesting in favor of MLK’s speech; he was struck by strong forces of water from a firefighter hose, and was sent to the ground. Joe said, “When my fellow black citizens and I were protesting, even though we were bitten by dogs and sprayed by water, all I could truly from this event was a transition into a time of peace between the two races, even though at this time, things seemed as though they were in the trenches.”
What has the world come to now a days? We are human beings for Peters’ sake, who deservers to be brutally hit by water from a fire hose, and to have belligerent like dogs chasing you. What he we done to deserve this, I asked my mom. She said, Son we are just as good as anyone else and do not let anyone tell you that, stand up for yourself. I will continue to fight the oppressor until we gain freedom, even if I have to risk my life to better everyone else’s.
I was calmly walking down the street yesterday protesting for MLK when a the stream of a fire hose hit me in the eye at point blank, i now have only one eye. Even though my eye is now flopping around in the sewers with the rest of the blood and tears that were shed at the hands of the violent white fire fighters and police officers, I know that this day brought one step closer to equality.
Is what I am doing right now worth getting hurt for?…YES it is. I am tired of the people that live in the same community as me, the people that buy the same things as me, the people that wear the same clothes as me, the people that think that they are better then me because of a little difference in the color of our skin. I have no other option that just to accept that I am BLACK, and because of me being black I am going to skip school and walk to fight for what I think is right. To fight for what is right , and to fight for my rights. Let the firefighters hose me down it is just water it dries off, let the dogs bite me there just little cuts they will heal themselves over time, but all of this discrimination is not going to fix itself unless we do something about it.
In response to Adam's blog, I thought it was awful what the officials did to the peaceful protesters there. I was there for a little, when I saw the hoses and dogs come I knew I had to get out of there. I was truly scared for my life. I saw them spray one of my good friends across the street with the hose than the dogs went after him. I didn't know what to do
No one would think that being sprayed with water would hurt. But when it comes to giant fire hoses..it does. These acts just prove to me that me and the others i was with were the better people. To respond to peace with violence in just insanity. I agree with Rodrigo when he says "what has the world come to now a days"
The look on my sisters face as she was thrown to the ground and brutally sprayed by a firehose broke my heart. What have we done for innocent people that are simply walking the streets protesting for what they believe in to get attacked for no reason? Nothing, we have done nothing wrong and it's awful. However, through the tears and the pain I am willing to fight for my rights, and this will bring us one step closer to freedom and equality.
ji coulnt stand to look at my best friend being sprayed with an intense water hose. it is brutal these day dont those whites have any respect for us? honestly we didnt dp anything to instigate the whole situation but i will no give up until im free and every situation that faces me im willing to be strong and fight
All I could possibly be thinking at that time was how it was worth my pain. Dogs bite and fire hoses hurt, yes, but I'm truly hoping that someday, my suffering will mean that my own grandchildren can live in a better world. I do this for the future, and I can only force myself to think about that as I withstand the pain, and go out the next day to do just that. I cannot let them win anymore, or our entire fight will be in vain.
ReplyDeleteI am only a kid and I have no idea why the police and fire men would want to hurt us. We never did anything wrong, we did not hurt anyone, we did not damage or steal property of others- we just sat in a church and stood on a lawn. The hoses hurt real bad but if we made a game out of avoiding them it was more fun. At one point i was running through the spray or the water and it was very cooling. The dogs are what scared me. They were unforgiving and seemed to have no heart like all the other dogs that I had ever meet. In the end though, I can only be happy for what I did today. Mama and Father seemed very proud of me and I learned a huge lesson- I did nothing wrong so I have nothign to be asshamed of. As long as I do not fight and as long as I keep my hope, freedom will come.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought that water could hurt so badly? As my friends and I were thrown towards a wall by the brutal force of the fire hose water, all I could think about was, "what did we do to deserve this?" My mother later told me that I did nothing wrong, and that she was in fact proud of my courage. The only thing worse than the fire hoses was the dogs. Their viciousness was unbearing, and I think that I was more scared in that moment than I have been in a long time. My mother keeps telling me to keep my head up, because we will somehow find better days.
ReplyDeleteto this day i will never understand what kind of a monster would ever desire to harm children such as myself. Standing small and harmless words could never compare to the pain and violence i have been through at such a young age. I have never acted out against society, i am an average child living up to my standards and trying to find a place in life where i can feel belonged. Them hoses reminded me that i do not fit in, as the forceful water violently threw me down my friends and i tried to make the most of it. Being attacked my angry dogs is what gets me the most, i wake up in my sleep every night as i see their glowing eyes running towards me. I do not believe in violence therefore i would never harm or hurt anyone, i believe that over time the wrong will differ from the right and we will have what is deserved.
ReplyDeleteas i am attacked i begin to wonder if everthing i am doing is worth it. why do i want to be treated as an equal to the type of person who harms children intentually? then i remember as the water hits me and the dogs bite me, everyone is different in some way however they still are all human and should be treated as humans not as black or white, boy or girl, mean or nice, tall or short. we all have faces, hands, ears, eyes, mouths, and should all be treated as so. all the other things make up our personalities but when they are put together we are the same. i do not becomee agery because fighting back not teach these people the lesson they need to learn and if by spraying me with water and letting your dogs bite me makes you feel better thats fine because at the end of the day you will have still learned a lesson. i will accept you harsh actions with a smile on my face because i know that one day the water and dogs will stop and our lessons will be learned and accepted.
ReplyDeleteI am still in awe on how we can stand for such good and go about our business peacefully and still be attacked by the police! The police are supposed to protect the public! We are the public, we shouldn't ever be threatened and attacked by dogs and hoses, It just isnt fair and it just isnt right. I just cant believe there are so many people who want to take away our chance at living a normal life, just because we are a little diffrent than them. If all the whites had the courage and intelligence of Martin Luther King, they would be able to see through the color of our skin and would be able to give us a chance and show us the compassion every human has the right to. I know this experiance has scared me and it is one i will never forget, the continuing denial of our rights just makes me upset. It makes me wonder how we will ever gain rights when there are people like this living in our country acting as our police and government officals and bankers and every job you can imagine. It just isnt fair!
ReplyDeleteAs I was exposed to gallons of water and the vicious teeth of dogs within seconds, I couldn't help but think in awe of the insane hypocrisy of these people, who were chosen to protect the innocent and keep the peace, attacking us--unarmed, peaceful protesters! However, I did not fight back. How could I anyway? I was on the ground, beaten, bloody, broken, and abused. Even as I think back to events like that, I also remember Dr. King's vision--a world in which all men are treated as equals, not just a select few. And so, I strengthen my resolve and continue my work, no matter what they throw at me.
ReplyDeleteAs i look at the blood running down my legs and all around me dogs just chasing down friends that i know, i begin to wonder what this racism as come down to. I never believed violence between whites on our kind would be here like devil's work. All i want in my life is a place where whites and blacks can exist together in peace but this is far from any of our dreams. Then we ask, how far must we go, how much must we suffer so that whites can realize this foolishness? God knows and he is watching over us helping us prove our point. All i know is that if it takes a year to fight for freedom we will fight, if it takes the rest of our lives we will fight, we will fight forever.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son Joe Donnelly came home last night, I could see road burns all over his arm. Joe eventually explained how he obtained the road burns and indeed, it was disturbing. My son told me while he was protesting in favor of MLK’s speech; he was struck by strong forces of water from a firefighter hose, and was sent to the ground. Joe said, “When my fellow black citizens and I were protesting, even though we were bitten by dogs and sprayed by water, all I could truly from this event was a transition into a time of peace between the two races, even though at this time, things seemed as though they were in the trenches.”
ReplyDeleteWhat has the world come to now a days? We are human beings for Peters’ sake, who deservers to be brutally hit by water from a fire hose, and to have belligerent like dogs chasing you. What he we done to deserve this, I asked my mom. She said, Son we are just as good as anyone else and do not let anyone tell you that, stand up for yourself. I will continue to fight the oppressor until we gain freedom, even if I have to risk my life to better everyone else’s.
ReplyDeleteI was calmly walking down the street yesterday protesting for MLK when a the stream of a fire hose hit me in the eye at point blank, i now have only one eye. Even though my eye is now flopping around in the sewers with the rest of the blood and tears that were shed at the hands of the violent white fire fighters and police officers, I know that this day brought one step closer to equality.
ReplyDeleteIs what I am doing right now worth getting hurt for?…YES it is. I am tired of the people that live in the same community as me, the people that buy the same things as me, the people that wear the same clothes as me, the people that think that they are better then me because of a little difference in the color of our skin. I have no other option that just to accept that I am BLACK, and because of me being black I am going to skip school and walk to fight for what I think is right. To fight for what is right , and to fight for my rights. Let the firefighters hose me down it is just water it dries off, let the dogs bite me there just little cuts they will heal themselves over time, but all of this discrimination is not going to fix itself unless we do something about it.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Adam's blog, I thought it was awful what the officials did to the peaceful protesters there. I was there for a little, when I saw the hoses and dogs come I knew I had to get out of there. I was truly scared for my life. I saw them spray one of my good friends across the street with the hose than the dogs went after him. I didn't know what to do
ReplyDeleteNo one would think that being sprayed with water would hurt. But when it comes to giant fire hoses..it does. These acts just prove to me that me and the others i was with were the better people. To respond to peace with violence in just insanity. I agree with Rodrigo when he says "what has the world come to now a days"
ReplyDeleteThe look on my sisters face as she was thrown to the ground and brutally sprayed by a firehose broke my heart. What have we done for innocent people that are simply walking the streets protesting for what they believe in to get attacked for no reason? Nothing, we have done nothing wrong and it's awful. However, through the tears and the pain I am willing to fight for my rights, and this will bring us one step closer to freedom and equality.
ReplyDeleteji coulnt stand to look at my best friend being sprayed with an intense water hose. it is brutal these day dont those whites have any respect for us? honestly we didnt dp anything to instigate the whole situation but i will no give up until im free and every situation that faces me im willing to be strong and fight
ReplyDelete