Dear Future President,

How is it ever okay to disrespect someone because of the color of their skin ? How can you hate someone because they aren’t like you ? Many African Americans have been fighting for equality for hundreds of years and still don’t get treated with the equal respect of everyone else. Today in 2016 black people are getting shot down in the streets because they are different. This is someone's child, husband, brother, sister and all the other potential things you could be to another person. Police officers shouldn’t be able to kill someone and be able to continue living their life without doing any jail time, proving that white people still have higher authority than black people.

Around 194 African Americans have been killed by police this year and 300 in 2015. We have to do something about it. Yes, people have thought about rioting, kneeling during the anthem and wearing shirts that embrace their opinion, but that isn’t really doing anything; people are still dying. Many people are voicing their opinion about this but we need help we need higher authority people to say this isn’t right. We are all American and we should be treated with respect.

Everyone has a different opinion on the situation. No one can be forced to agree with us but when a person who is unarmed with their hands up is killed by a police officer just because he or she had the authority to do so is not right. They should have to go to prison for what they have done. It is against the law to murder someone so why shouldn't these officers have to pay for what they have done. Eric Garner was killed by police. He had six children. Eric Garner was held in a choke hold, then wrestled onto the ground. After the situation occurred Garner told police that he wasn’t selling cigarettes and the officers proceeded to arrest him leading to another altercation. In this time while Eric Garner was on the ground he continually said “ I can’t breathe” but of course the officers did not pay attention to anything he was saying.

The Black Lives movement was created in 2013 after George Zimmerman was found not guilty of killing seventeen year old Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was unarmed. African American people are angry because they feel they have no one. How can you call yourself a police but are killing innocent people? Police are suppose to be the people we go to for help and be to know they’ll defend us not kill. Slavery started in 1619 and ended in 1865. That's 265 years a very long time to be holding people hostage because of the color of their skin. And it seems as though many still have this attitude. 

So, future president what are you planning to do about this ? These officers should not be living like nothing happened , this is making us doubt that the police are on our side. If something is not done we will continue dying and continue rebelling against the police and any other people who aren't on our side. Are you really willing to let half of the population of black people die because of racial prejudice ? We need you the most right now.

Sincerely,

Z Phillips