topic Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots) in Community Chat

Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

KingstonsMom — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 23:10:42 GMT

From 2014 re: the unjustified 2009 shooting of another man shot 41 times by police.

So pertinent during this time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQMqWAiWPMs

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

Sheila P-Burg — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 23:16:49 GMT

Nice reminder. Another reason why the protest continue.

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

KingstonsMom — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 23:44:41 GMT

These atrocities are not new by a long shot, If anyone's interested in the story behind this song:

In the early hours of February 4, 1999, a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant named Amadou Diallo (born September 2, 1975) was shot and killed by four New York City Police Department plain-clothed officers—Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon, and Kenneth Boss. Carroll would later claim to have mistaken him for a rape suspect from one year earlier, though his claim was never confirmed by any objective evidence. The officers fired a combined total of 41 shots, 19 of which struck Diallo, outside his apartment at 1157 Wheeler Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx.

The four officers, who were part of the now-defunct Street Crimes Unit, were charged with second-degree murder and acquitted at trial in Albany, New York.[1] Diallo was unarmed and a firestorm of controversy erupted after the event, as the circumstances of the shooting prompted outrage both inside and outside of New York. Issues such as police brutality, racial profiling, and contagious shooting were central to the ensuing controversy.

In April 2000, Diallo's mother and father filed a $61 million lawsuit against the city and the officers, charging gross negligence, wrongful death, racial profiling, and other violations of Diallo's civil rights. In March 2004, they accepted a $3 million settlement, one of the largest in the City of New York for a single man with no dependents under New York State's "wrongful death law", which limits damages to pecuniary loss by the deceased person's next of kin.[12] Anthony H. Gair, representing the Diallo family, argued that federal common law should apply.[further explanation needed]

In April 2002, as a result of the killing of Diallo and other controversial actions, the Street Crime Unit was disbanded. In 2003, Diallo's mother published a memoir, My Heart Will Cross This Ocean: My Story, My Son, Amadou, with the help of author Craig Wolff.

Diallo's death became an issue in the 2005 New York City mayoral election. Bronx borough president and mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer, who had protested the circumstances of the killing at the time, was criticized by the Diallo family and many other for telling a meeting of police sergeants that although the shooting had been a tragedy, the officers had been "over-indicted".[13]

Boss had shot another unarmed black man dead in 1997.[14] After the trial Boss was reassigned to desk duty, but in October 2012, Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly restored Boss' ability to carry a firearm. As of 2012 he was the only one of the four officers still working for the NYPD.[15] In 2015 he was promoted to sergeant in accordance to police policy, which is not subject to review by top department officials.[16]

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

SusieQ_2 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 00:03:01 GMT

American Skin (41 Shots) lyrics

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross the bloody river to the other side
41 shots, cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school
She says, "On these streets, Charles
You've got to understand the rules
If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite
And that you'll never ever run away
Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight"

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it a wallet (is it a wallet), this is your life (this is your life)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it in your heart (is it in your heart), is it in your eyes (is it in your eyes)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, I got my boots caked with this mud
We're baptized in these waters (baptized in these waters)
And in each other's blood (and in each other's blood)

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it a wallet (is it a wallet), this is your life (this is your life)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

mspatmac — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 00:22:17 GMT

https://www.springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics.php?song=americanskin

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

Greeneyedlady21 — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 00:26:46 GMT

I'm a big fan of Bruce, one of the greatest songwriters in American history.

It sure is a shame that this song remains relevant.

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

KingstonsMom — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 01:02:15 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21

Oh me too!

I think I have every album and live video performances in my library!

His album 'The Rising' was a great tribute to 9/11.

He's very social conscious.

I love a live performance of 'Dancing in the Dark' from London, where he brings his Mom on stage to dance with him and then brings on his sister who play guitar and sings with him!

Maybe you'll enjoy it too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7lfzARGXGw

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

KingstonsMom — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 01:05:15 GMT

@SusieQ_2 wrote:
American Skin (41 Shots) lyrics

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross the bloody river to the other side
41 shots, cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school
She says, "On these streets, Charles
You've got to understand the rules
If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite
And that you'll never ever run away
Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight"

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it a wallet (is it a wallet), this is your life (this is your life)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it in your heart (is it in your heart), is it in your eyes (is it in your eyes)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, I got my boots caked with this mud
We're baptized in these waters (baptized in these waters)
And in each other's blood (and in each other's blood)

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it a wallet (is it a wallet), this is your life (this is your life)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

Yep, it was his wallet...............

Re: Bruce Springsteens' Song (american Skin (41 Shots)

alicedee — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 02:32:45 GMT

@KingstonsMom wrote:
@Greeneyedlady21

Oh me too!

I think I have every album and live video performances in my library!

His album 'The Rising' was a great tribute to 9/11.

He's very social conscious.

I love a live performance of 'Dancing in the Dark' from London, where he brings his Mom on stage to dance with him and then brings on his sister who play guitar and sings with him!

Maybe you'll enjoy it too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7lfzARGXGw

@KingstonsMom Thank you so much for sharing the link! It was wonderful!!!