Other topics I could've written about this week include, but are not limited to: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Philippa Soo, and Leslie Odom Jr. all leaving Hamilton on Broadway last night, what it means to be "Un-American" or just another friendly, or maybe even comical article, about how crucial it is to appreciate each day you're given. I could have made this article a much happier and inspirational one in a number of aspects. Instead, you're going to hear my voice about the tragic and fateful events that have transpired just this past week. You're going to hear me beg and plea for humanity to band together in an effort to slow, or even stop, our own destruction. I will be giving you some facts, but most of this will be straight from my feelings and emotions. Please read, share this article for more to read, and start loving more.
July 5th, 2016. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana was the infamous date of the 505th death due to the police in 2016 alone. You all know that story, and if you don't, you should probably read up on your current news. If you missed that shooting though, don't worry, because there was another one Wednesday night that can be seen through a Facebook Live video occurring in Chicago. Antonio Perkins then became yet another tally to the brutal murders belonging to the police. When I say "brutal murders," I am not meaning every murder was wrong and unjust. I don't know the whole story pertaining to this shooting, so I refuse to act as though I know every fact that relates to this case. In other words, I'm not going to pretend to be Tomi Lahren, and bash every little thing I disagree with. I am also not going to "calmly discuss this" with various abrasive hand gestures. If you'd like to, you can envision that, but I'm not going to give anybody that satisfaction myself. Oh but wait, if you missed Antonio's death, and are just begging for more, our society definitely didn't disappoint. Just one day later on Thursday during a protest towards police brutality, five Dallas police officers were shot and killed, and 12 were shot in total. Five police officers who were protecting people from the police's own protest, were killed that day. Now I'm not saying the two deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday collectively were tragic, because I know and believe them to be. When somebody kills another, that person doesn't just take another life. That shooter takes away a husband, wife, daughter, son, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather and you get the rest. I am saying that if this sniper who took away five lives on Thursday was out for revenge, that was not the way the go about it.
When people post about being #blacklivesmatter or #procops, others assume those people are only for one side. To quote Trevor Noah from The Daily Show, "In reality, you can be pro-cop and pro-black, which is what we all should be. That is what we should be aiming for." So instead of instantly assuming that the pro-black person hates cops, or the pro-cops person hates blacks, ask. It seems like a relatively easy thing to do, doesn't it? Just ask the person. As easy as that is, it rarely ever happens.
For those of you who think it's so easy to judge whether or not that person should have been shot in any case, let me tell you a story. (Disclaimer: This is training, so all weapons were dummy guns.) During my military police training, we are all put through a hands-on evaluation of a domestic call. Our drill sergeants had told us this was the most dangerous call any police officer can get, military or civilian. As an officer, you have to go into this person's house with no knowledge of where they could be hiding any weapons of some kind. To cut the story short a bit, I was talking a woman down from her anger, and my partner was talking to the relationship-partner of the two. Before I could even blink, the woman picked up a gun, and aimed it right at me. In response, I pulled out my gun and didn't pull the trigger, attempting to talk her down. She didn't pull the trigger after a few seconds, and I didn't either. Instead, I put her against the wall, and took her to the ground. Within that split second of time, she could have pulled the trigger, which would have (in a real-life scenario) injured, or maybe even killed me. For those of you who think it's so easy to judge whether or not that cop should have shot in some cases, I personally invite you to go to a police station, and ask if you can try some real-life scenarios with a weapon in your hand. The second you blink can be the last second you're alive.
Having told my story, I am not, I repeat, am not, defending those officers who go beyond what they're supposed to. I am not defending those who have made poor choices due to the racism they may have within themselves. They have some things they have to figure out on their own, and the police force is somewhere none of them should be. I am saying that nobody has any right to have negative thoughts, or even be afraid, of all police officers. Talk to one today if you see one, and try to imagine a life in his/her shoes. Ask him/her what a typical day on the job entails. Hating everybody isn't getting us anywhere, so why keep doing it?
This is Brandon Mabrey, and these are my final thoughts.
