The world says that black lives matter but does it really matter? I feel that it doesn't because African Americans are still being harassed, beaten, and killed just because of our skin and nothing is being done about the problem. African Americans have protested,marched,and most of the time had riots for generations and generations to come because black people are sick and tired of being treated as if our lives really don't matter.

Dear Future President,

The world says that black lives matter but does it really matter? I feel that it doesn't because African Americans are still being harassed, beaten, and killed just because of our skin and nothing is being done about the problem. African Americans have protested,marched,and most of the time had riots for generations and generations to come because black people are sick and tired of being treated as if our lives really don't matter. I also notice that when I look back to my African american pasts I realize that the history of police brutality is just repeating itself .

"The Washington Post” has put up a counter that shows how many people have been killed by the police in 2016. The number has increased everyday, and as of October 21st, 2016 the number was 772. What will it be when you read this letter? What will have been done by politicians, cities, the government to make this stop? And What will not have been done?

African Americans had to fight their whole lives for freedom and respect that we will never get because WE really don’t matter.It's even crazy to me how People other than our own skin are always and continue to say how we are being selfish about saying Black lives matter because it sounds like we are saying “only black lives matter” but that is not what we mean, we say our lives matter because we are the only ones right now who are suffering with pain, we are the only ones right now who is losing pieces and pieces of the black community day by day and getting shot down to the last bullet with blood coming down our face which shows us that it’s too late. So why? Just tell me why till this day we are still going through this?

Growing up as a kid I was told that “the police is our heroes” and “how we shouldn't be scared of them because they are here for us”, But instead of them supporting us and having our backs they are killing us left and right with no remorse.The situation is even more sad that half of the time police aren't even punished for their doings, and the families of those who lost a loved one, a friend or a neighbor will have to suffer and deal with the fact that justice will never be served.Every single day i have to pray that when I turn on the news I will not see or hear another report on a death of a young innocent african american who was just walking down the street with a little sag in his pants or with they hands in they pockets.

In the article “Town Hall” says that “police are not shooting blacks and whites at the same rate. In a study of houston Texas police officers economists Roland G.Feyer Jr, discovered that police were 23.8 percent likely to shoot at black suspects than white suspects. In situations where lethal force may have been justified ,blacks have less chance of being shot than whites.” So this makes me wonder why isn't there a stop to this? And what can be done to decrease the percent of police shootings towards Africans Americans.

Like how can we ever make the “country better” if we continue to make our country more worse, But then again we are so worried about the wrong things that it’s hard to focus on what really matters which is the shootings that are killing hundreds and hundreds of black people all over the world with no justice. To me I feel that we are having a war all over again,but Instead of fighting against each other we need to be coming together as one and making the world a better place for all by standing up for what is right and figuring out the bigger issue.

Sincerely,

Xzahni Phillips