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A Tale of Two Timothys

By James Clingman, Jr.

Here we go again. The rich and powerful are coming to the rescue of the poor and downtrodden after the rebellion that was caused by the shooting of Brother Timothy Thomas. Let me say first that I hope and pray something positive takes place - something that will indeed provide benefits to the people who are most adversely affected by the economic injustice we see in this town. I also hope and pray that those lurking in the shadows of profiteering, selling out, and taking personal advantage of our brother's death will refrain from their usual tactics of merely looking out for themselves.

Now, with that said, let's get to the news. To recap, Timothy Thomas was shot and killed by a white police officer who, we are told, checked the "Black" box on his police application. Maybe Cincinnati does not have 25% Black officers after all. Hmmm.

Mr. Timothy Thomas, after fleeing from police, and I emphasize, "after" not while fleeing, was shot for reasons that have not yet been fully disclosed. We do know that he had some pretty serious outstanding warrants - for traffic violations and for not wearing his seatbelt. We know that he died in a place where many of us would not even walk. I was with the Cincinnati Black United Front members during our cleanup of the site where the brother was slain, and I saw the filth, smelled the stench, and imagined what it must have been like for young Timothy as he took his last breath, lying in broken glass, trash, and garbage.

This brother died in a place not fit for a rat to die in, a place where people discard their unwanted items, a place where things rot away, and a place where things (and in this case a person) end up being tossed haphazardly away without regard. Juxtapose that environment where a Black man died against what we will see next month when a white man will die in sterile comfortable surroundings. Another Timothy, named McVeigh, will be put to sleep without pain or discomfort.

Timothy Thomas failed to put his seatbelt on; he did not pay his traffic fines; oh yes, he also had the temerity to run from the police, maybe because he feared for his life. Running from police for many young brothers has become a form of self-defense. No crime there. Timothy Thomas killed no one, robbed no one, sold drugs to no one, and he was killed and died in a rat-infested alley, as he tried to make it back home to his three month old son. Unfortunately, they will never see each other again, at least not on this side of heaven.

Timothy McVeigh, on the other hand, killed 168 people and injured thousands more, both physically and mentally, with his dastardly act. He planned his crime and carried it out with a calculated and cold preciseness that would leave any reasonable person in chills. This Timothy said the children who died in his hell on earth destruction of that federal building were merely collateral damage. He did what he did because that's what he wanted to do. Now he will die, years after being proven guilty, and he will die now only because he asked to die.

Timothy Thomas did not ask to die, although some say he did because he ran from the police. He was shot down like a rabid dog in an alley only used for shortcuts and garbage.

Timothy McVeigh will drift off comfortably into slumber, made a martyr by some, and may cause through his death even more chaos and acts of violence by those who support him and his cause.

Timothy Thomas' death was horrible and agonizing. He has also become a martyr of sorts, and his death has already caused acts of violence, and it may cause even more. But he had no cause; instead, he has become the cause.

This tale of two Timothys is a microcosm of what is taking place around this country. Black men are being killed in unthinkable numbers because of ridiculous, fabricated, and untruthful reasons. White men wield knives, guns, swords, and other weapons at police officers, but they don't end up dead.

Black men wield bricks, wallets, cell phones, and sometimes they reach to unbuckle their seatbelt, only to end up executed on the spot because of their threatening gestures and movements.

This tale of two Timothys reminds me of what Dickens wrote regarding the best of times and the worst of times. The movers and shakers (the aristocrats) of Cincinnati are enjoying the best of times, while the poor and neglected (the proliteriate) suffer from the worst of times. There is neither bread nor cake to eat, and the storming of the Bastille has begun. The king (Mayor Luken) has opened his court to hear what the rabble has to say. The guillotine has been raised and some heads will roll in the city administration.

We will soon see the results of all of this action. I just pray that we will not simply return to business as usual, and I hope everything that is done by those who now want to fix the situation will have a direct benefit on the people, the young men and women, who raised the consciousness of this city in the first place. If this is just more window-dressing, we will surely see more of what we have witnessed over the past week. Timothy McVeigh will be remembered for what he chose to do with his life. Timothy Thomas should be remembered and memorialized for what he will not be able to do with his.

Rest in peace, my young brother, Timothy Thomas. --

James Clingman is an Adjunct Professor, Univ. of Cincinnati, Dept. of African American Studies on "Black Entrepreneurship". He is the founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, served as its first Executive Director and President. Hosts the radio program, "Blackonomics" at "1230TheBuzz.com", sponored by Visions 2000 and is the author of the book, Economic Empowerment or Economic Enslavement - We have a choice (www.enterzone.com/power). Contact him at P.O. Box 6722, Cincinnati, OH 45206, 513-489-4132.

Send E-mail to : j_cling@fuse.net