Dear Future President:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This quote from the great Martin Luther King Jr. is one that directly speaks to the injustices we see here currently in the United States. With police brutality in the spotlight of American media, it is hard ignore the discrimination we see law enforcement have against minorities, especially Blacks. Now, more than ever before, the United States government needs to start holding police officers accountable for murdering civilians.

Growing up in a large city like San Diego, I have been able to see the difference in how law enforcement patrols and deals with different types of people. For example, in La Jolla, a very affluent neighborhood, I rarely see anyone being pulled over, pedestrians being stopped, and even the sight of a police car is not that common. On the other hand, in some neighborhoods where the majority of people are minorities, police cars are roaming through the streets, slowly cruising by pedestrians in an attempt to make the community fear law enforcement. This tension between the community members of these neighborhoods and police is brought on by the cops themselves, which makes me wonder why people do not understand the fact that the majority of Blacks in this country do not think fondly of the cops.

This tension has reached an all-time high in my city of San Diego, when an unarmed mentally-ill Sudanese American male named Alfred Olango was gunned down by police after his sister had called the cops to help her calm him down. Now I understand that America’s track record has shown that the police officer who did this will face little to no consequences and most likely no jail time, but as potential President of The United States, wouldn't you want to be the administration to turn this around? I’m not asking you to have pity on black people or even sympathize with the families of these victims because I understand that the American government couldn't care less about black lives. However, if your administration were able to set up a plan where the police would be punished for their actions, your legacy would be immortalized. You would be credited for easing race relations and give your term some meaning. So now, more than ever before, by listening to our voices, you can establish your legacy as the President that united America.

                                                                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                                                                      Bereket Fikre