Where is the humanity?
It is a little mind-boggling to think of the amount of people who have so little regard for human life. So freely do we end a life of our brothers and sisters. In light of the events that have taken place not only in the last week, but in years and years past, I -- and I am sure many others -- am questioning humanity.
Now it is not as though killing is a surprise to me. It has been here since the beginning of civilization. We grew up from an early age learning about war. However simple, the significance of death is never really taught to us. It is always something you think about happening to other people, and so often do many of us think we are out of death's reach, so we are sort of conditioned to disregard the weight and severity of death. I have always had an unhealthy obsession over death -- specifically my own. Not that I think I have a better understanding of it, but death affects me in a big way, even if it is about people I have never known.
Collectively, the United States needs a discussion on the weight of death. We need to realize that actual human lives are being cut off. All of their memories, passions, wants, needs, etc. are gone with them, and their families are left to mourn their loss. For the families of the Black men that have been wrongfully taken from this earth, they are left to mourn not only for their loss, but for the reasons why it happened. When something consistently happens to a certain demographic, to the point where it becomes a norm, it is conditioned into those people to expect the same for them. In the United States, there are people who fear their lives being taken by authority figures whose duty is supposedly to keep the peace. And then you have to fear the supporters of these extremist police officers, who are justifying the deaths by saying they deserved it over mediocre crimes.
At the root of social justice, police reform and ending racism is compassion for your fellow people. It's embracing and respecting identities that are different from our own and recognizing that those differences don't make us any better or worse than anyone else. Because in the grand scheme of everything, we are human. We are born and die all the same. Just as you hold your memories, friends, family, and live dearly, so does everyone else.
If you would like to help make a difference in our society's current situation, participate. I won't sit here and act like an article about human compassion is changing anything. Find out how you can help. Hashtagging and making statuses can bring attention, but is it enough? Research where you can donate to the affected families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the Dallas police. Get out and add to the volume of frustrated voices. Start where you can make a difference.
