All Lives Matter

Dear Madame/Mr. President: Whether or not we would like to believe this, blacks and other people of color are still facing embedded racism and second hand treatment. In fact blacks have always faced this kind of problem of racism ever since our whole country came into existence and since then, discrimination is very much alive between whites and blacks but just in different situations. This new situation is between law enforcement and everyday African American citizens. Recently I've had every reason to doubt our government officials and our security on the streets to uphold the standards to which our own country was founded on. The words from our Constitution states “ that all men are created equal” but if we are all equal then why are innocent African American men, women, and children continuing to be ridiculed, killed, and racially profiled by the hands of police officers? How can we as a country truly stand together as one if we don't treat each other with equality? I'm an 18 year-old teenage girl, and I am appalled at what I've heard  concerning police officials and African Americans, seeing on how if this issue will ever come to a conclusion. This is an issue that so happens to threaten our ability to trust the people who are supposed to be protecting us, but rather abuse their authority towards others, our inability to trust our own government to follow our constitution, and the future of this country. This is why I strongly urge you to focus on solving this problem between our police officials and the discrimination that is still very much alive towards African Americans. “Police shoot and kill African Americans twice as much as other racial groups” according to Wall Street Daily  and that black people were four times as likely to die in custody or while being arrested more than whites. The movement called Black Lives Matter sprung up after the deaths of unarmed black men in Florida, Missouri, etc, and has been viewed as being opposed to police and suggesting that other people's lives don't matter. The first case that stirred the pot was when the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012 in Florida and 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. The unlawful deaths of these boys have triggered protests around the country under the name “ Black Lives Matter.” This has also raised the question on why police abuse their authority as Barack Obama states in PBS NEWS HOUR. Some may argue that it's the African Americans that have started all this due to there history of violence, and crimes. But truly that isn't the case, because none of the men were acting upon any illegal acts as they were simply minding there own business. According to Wall Street Daily police forces are being turned into military soldiers such as  “Pentagon has been arming local police forces to the tune of half a billion dollars per year.” This raises the question why do we need to have such a strong police force? The answer is we do not; that is why we have the army, navy, military, and so on to do all the heavy duty not the police to do whatever they feel because of this new profound strength. It is said with great power comes great responsibility to do the right thing but this isn't the case because with this power the police are using it to control people and what little say they have in protecting their rights. We as a country need to stop this growth of our law enforcement and to cut them off of there new strength. In all this is a crucial issue to focus on because it is an issue that will bring our country together or it will tear us all apart. I'd rather stand together to be able to trust our own police to serve by the standards we all are subjected to follow instead of living a life of worry about being a victim of a hazardous police force. As Barack Obama states “It’s not just something being politicized. It’s real and there’s a history behind it and we have to take it seriously.” This is why you as your new president needs to stand up and face this issue with open arms because if we don't then we will accomplish nothing and we will crumble in our own faults. Sincerely, Amie