Trayvon Martin. Eric Garner. Alston Sterling. Philando Castile. Did those names evoke any type of emotion, any type of feeling? These are not just names anymore, not just a few people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of these police officers allowed their preconceived judgments dictate their actions. And it is quite transparent that in these cases, there is a fine line between doing one's job and committing murder. But according to our broken justice system, the outcome was always the former.
Yes, blue lives do matter. Yes, all lives do matter. But right now, it is a necessity to state that black lives matter. Being a part of this country, we are promised an opportunity to freedom and happiness. No matter what you speak, what your beliefs are, you are guaranteed an equal chance to prosper. Little do you know that all of this luxury, all of those dreams you had, are worthless because the brochure excludes people like you. You won't be able to run down to the gas station without a heavy confrontation. And you won't be able to walk to the grocery store without having a cop car follow you. Why? Because you're black.
I cannot bear to read about another innocent black man dying. I cannot stand and watch another video of a person held at gunpoint. It took too many deaths to finally realize that racism is still alive and well. Change needs to happen, so spread the word, and show that you stand with the victims and truly believe that black lives matter.
