The senseless killing of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and the five police officers in Dallas has probably impacted almost everyone in the country. This past week has been an emotional roller coaster for me - because to me, it was a wake up call. I realized the state of America and how apparent its racist tendencies are. It pushed me to anger and fueled my thirst for change. However, not everyone felt this way. So many different reactions and emotions are pouring out of people. I just feel that we need a reminder that there are so many ways to react and handle the situation because we are all unique. We have different ways to process shocking information.
It’s OK to feel sadness.
I cried when I watched the son of Sterling sobbing. I felt his pain and wished that he didn’t lose his father the way he did. I cried watching the video recorded by Castile’s fiance when she finally broke down at the end. I will never know how terrible it can be to have the love your life die right in front of your eyes and your daughter’s eyes when the man did nothing wrong. I cried when CNN was speaking about the lives of the good police officers taken so soon. There’s nothing wrong with mourning.
It’s OK to detach yourself from the computer and TV for awhile.
The videos of the murders of all these men were circulating everywhere. They replayed it over and over, until it numbed you. It tires you after a while and it can hurt you mentally as well as spiritually. If you need some time to let your mind rest for a moment to lessen the pain, you shouldn’t be ashamed. Let your mind recharge and you can surely speak your mind afterward.
It’s OK to feel anger.
How disgusting was it to know that a man decided he has the right to end another life for no apparent reason with his daughter in the car? This man didn’t deserve it. He was someone who was loved and was obviously a good man all the way until the end. His innocent daughter has lost that innocence after the trauma of seeing racism so highlighted in her young eyes. Then there’s Sterling, a man who was killed for something that is nowhere near punishable by death. Then they speak endlessly about criminal records that wouldn’t be talked about if he wasn’t Black. So much frustration builds up after seeing that PoC are so mistreated and how police departments see our cries of anger, but just turn and let the bad apples keep sliding by. Lastly, these five officers didn’t deserve this. They were helping the protesters, taking pictures and taking their oath seriously. Why kill them? It isn’t the way to make a change, but a stupid impulse that hurts us all. You have the right to have your blood boiling.
It’s OK to share it all over your social media and spread the word.
People may find comfort in your words or something. Don’t let people who may find it annoying push you to silence. If they don’t like it, the unfriend/block button isn’t hard to find. These events prove that we need to have these conversations. We need to show people that police brutality exists, but killing good cops doesn’t solve anything. Silence ends the movement. I was the person sharing and liking nonstop, because I needed a way to express the feelings that were so crunched up inside. This was my way to feel free.
However, there are few ways of handling your emotions that just aren’t right. They aren’t productive and will never fix any issues.
Don’t dare insult the Black Lives Matter movement and blame it for Dallas.
There was a former government official who threatened not only the president, but people in the movement. This shooter acted alone. He is not a representative of this movement just because he hated white cops. Don’t overgeneralize a community of people based on one man that chose the wrong path to show his frustration. They don’t make judgements like that on police officers. There are police officers that have made positive and negative impacts on my life. There is no need to ridicule BLM with Blue Lives Matter. It just shows ignorance of the problem.
Don’t celebrate the death of cops.
Our country would be destroyed without them. I understand the frustration and why it can be hard to trust them. However, being happy at an innocent man’s death is something you should never be. Love is the only way to rid ourselves of hate.
My last comment is for people who are not Black.
Don’t act like this isn’t your problem.
Especially my fellow non-Black PoC. We must stand with BLM because we know their struggles. We can relate to the racism they face. Allowing our minds to be taken over by a neutral stance on the issue is the same as saying this discrimination is OK. The only way to improve the situation is with unity.
I don’t want to see another innocent man die for the color of his skin. I don’t want to see someone die because of an overgeneralization. I don’t want to see murder upon murder for random hate ever again. Your reactions to this violence decide when it will stop.
