I am angry. I am fed up. I am furious, and you should be too.
Why? Because police brutality has claimed more lives this week when something should have been done long ago to prevent this. There is a pattern here of black men getting stopped by police for routine checks or low-level crimes and never making it out alive.
There is actual footage documenting these murders and yet people are still hesitant to place blame where blame is due. Police officers. Time and time again, we see officers commit murder and walk free. The system is corrupt and it's about time the police be held responsible for their actions.
I can honestly tell you that while I'm writing this, my whole body is shaking out of anger. As a half-white half-Latina with white passing privilege my anger is out of frustration, not fear. I cannot even begin to fathom how the Black community feels, or the Brown community for that matter. While I could be lost in my privilege and choose to be apathetic, they have every right to be angry and terrified and silent. This is real for them. This is unsafe. This is life and death.
When will enough actually be enough? Even one person killed for having a broken taillight should be enough to cause change. We are on the cusp of a revolution. We should have seen some kind of reform in our police system. Too many innocent people have died. However, no one seems to care when it's a Black person. And yet, these seem to be the same people who claim #AllLivesMatter. Quite hypocritical if you ask me. Black lives have never mattered in the history of the Westernization of this country. These victims of murder are more than just that, they were real people with family and friends. They are more than a hashtag and deserve justice that should have been served a long time ago .
White people, now more than ever (although, really, why not sooner?) need to take a stand against the police system. Exercise that privilege and create some change. To quote activist Desmond Tutu, "“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality”. If you are white, I urge you to talk to your white family and friends about this. Talk to your elected officials. Show up for Black Lives Matter by speaking up when you see injustice. Go to protests. Show up in anyway you can without speaking over or invalidating people of color. This is my call to action. Don't be complacent. DO something.
How many more people need to die before we start actually changing the system? How many more black and brown bodies must line the street before white people join the fight to dismantle white supremacy? When will enough be enough?
