Everyone is familiar with today’s “Black Lives Matter” movement. The non-stop headlines on the brutality of police officers across America and grieving hearts of those who lose their family members to gun violence. The news outlets portraying the victims as bad citizens by digging up any dirt they can find. And let’s not leave out the investigations that almost always find that the cops are “innocent” and that they were “just doing their jobs.” Everyone has a stance on this top issue in America, and everyone voices their opinion on the matter.

For me, at times it gets hard to have a voice on the matter when one-half of your family believes that the movement is “ignorant” or “pointless” and the other has experienced the everyday pain attached to racism. I am biracial. I come from a Caucasian mother and an African-American father. I’ve become a part of many family discussions with my mother’s family in which it is clear that they mean no harm, but they know no pain of what those of color experience. They are unaware of the privileges that they indeed do have.

I was recently at a holiday celebration when my family was discussing one of the more recent murders by a police officer. As my uncle talked about the situation he said “I feel as if you are rallying against those who protect us, you cannot expect anyone to be held responsible for you being gunned down.” I stopped him and explained to him: we are living in a circle of life here. The rallying only begins when someone is innocently gunned down by an officer abusing his power. So why would the solution EVER be to gun down more people exercising their freedom of speech and their freedom to protest.

Many African-Americans no longer see those in uniforms of our protectors. Many see them as a threat to their safety, and that is a sad reality. In no way, shape, or form do I believe all cops are bad cops. But, in the same way, they feel they take a risk pulling someone over, because they can’t possibly know the person’s intentions, we of color take a risk by stopping. Whether your life is put in great danger or not is all in the luck of the draw.

I want to bring attention to the fact that this is NOTHING new. Some people cannot handle power. When I was just a toddler, my uncle was yanked from a car, handcuffed, and beaten to an unrecognizable state. My family knows the pain. So, although you may not be able to understand the pain and may never experience it, please look into it yourself before you begin to victimize the oppressor. ALL LIVES MATTER, but all lives are not facing everyday fears & danger by those implemented to protect us. Don’t be blind to the issues in America. Don’t believe the news when they try to make the victim the bad person. There is too much proof out in the world for you not to research and form an opinion of your own. The videos are there, watch them. Please wake up America.