Blog #2 - Courage to Kill

Reading Eldridge Cleaver’s article on the Black Panthers, we see the type of courage it takes to stand up to an oppressor and not to be intimidated. When Mr. Cleaver first meets the Black Panther party he is amazed at their professionalism and their grit determination at what they are about to do. Knowing that carrying around weapons is a dangerous choice but one that they must take since they are arming themselves for the coming battle against the whites, the Black Panthers lend their support any way they can. The courage shown by the Black Panthers in their protection detail of Sister Betty Shabazz is amazing. Standing up to the police and knowing that they did nothing wrong but still wanting a show down with the officers, shows that the Black Panthers were ready to give their lives for the advancement of the black race. This is important because it showed they were willing to die for the advancement of future generations.
In the reading, Mr. Cleaver states that after joining the Black Panther party he continuously sees the courage that he saw that day. This courage, while at first may seem as if the person is crazy is exactly what the black community needs if they are going to rise up and have a voice in politics. The revolution is about picking up a gun against one’s oppressors and being able to withstand the possible backlashes. At the end of the reading Mr. Cleaver quotes Mao Tse-Dong in saying that “We are advocates for the abolition of war; we do not want war; but war can only be abolished through war; and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to pick up the gun.” This quote shows that the Black Panther party isn’t about having war but wants to end it and needs to fight the violence that they see with violence and that takes courage to kill.