“So, you all remember Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the guy who set off the bombs in New York and New Jersey?” Fat Mack was stuffing his mouth and talking at the same time. Again.
“I remember him,” said Rick. ” I thought his name was Abdul. He’s the Ghani who became an American citizen, then tried to do a TA.”
“Boy, you high?” Uncle G frowned, more than a little confused. “What’d he just say?” Uncle G looked at me.
“He was just saying the guy tried to commit a terrorist attack after becoming a U.S. citizen.”
“Tried?” Uncle G sounded pissed. “Is that the same thing as saying if he had killed somebody THEN it would have been a terrorist attack?”
“Uncle G, you know you’ve been a little bit cranky lately,” I said. “So, okay, ‘he launched an unsuccessful terrorist attack against the country.’ Sound better? I asked.
Uncle G just frowned and stared at me.
“So anyway,” Mack finally got back to why the reason he brought up Hamidi.
“Even though he didn’t kill anybody with his bombs, he did injure a whole lot of people.”
“Innocent until proven guilty,” I reminded him.
“Say that to Michael Brown, or Trayvon Martin, or Walter Scoot, or Philando Castille– ”
“Or Sandra Bland, Terrence Crutcher or Keith Scott” interrupted dLittle Willie.
“So what’s your point, young blood?” Uncle G asked.
“As much as some Americans seem to fear and hate the Arabs, there’s something about us that they hate or fear even more. This man came out of a gun battle with police, and lived. I can’t help but wonder if he had been just a little darker, would he still be alive today. So many unarmed black men and women die for stuff like ‘talking back’ to the police or for having a weapon– sometimes legally.
“You all with me?” Mack asked. “He set off two bombs, injured dozens of people, had a shoot-out with the police and he’s alive today. I mean, how many black men have been killed because police saw a cell phone or a wallet or a toy and just started shooting? Seems like the only way to survive a shootout with the police is to have something to shoot with.
“Now don’t get me wrong,” Mack said quickly. “I’m glad he got to have his day in court. What I cannot be glad about, though, is the fact that anybody with lighter colored skin is more likely of surviving an encounter with police. If your skin is dark, odds are you won’t get a chance to stand before a judge to plead your case. What you’re most likely to get is a body bag.”
A heaviness fell over the diner, as people went back to eating their food. Mack’s words had been felt by everyone there.
