Dear Future President,

I am a 16 year old teenager from North Carolina. I only have two years until I am legally allowed to vote. Recently on the news and in newspapers there have been multiple cases of police brutality. I do in fact believe that Police men and women have a duty to protect not only the community but themselves as well. But I believe that now many police officers have taken advantage of their job. We are suppose to be equal. We are suppose to work together. We have to come together on one accord. But in reality we’re not even close to seeing eye to eye.

In 2015 police officers have killed approximately 340 African-American people as reported on mapping police violence. Also in 2016 police alone have killed 160 African Americans. Mainly targeting young black men. Also more than 1 and 3 of the black people that were targeted by police and killed in 2016 were allegedly armed and suspected of committing a crime. I feel as if nobody is understanding how the black community feel on these types of issues. Not only is nobody doing anything about it, but there has yet to be a police officer to be locked away for killing an innocent person. In 2014 in New York there was a man named Eric Garner who passed away due to Daniel Pantaleo a police officer for the NYPD illegally putting him in a chokehold according to Think Process. Eric Garner was accused of illegally selling cigarettes, the NYPD almost immediately used full force on Garner. Pantaleo then put Garner in a chokehold after Gardner continuously repeated he could not breathe Pantaleo continued to hold Gardner and eventually killing him. None of the Police officers called for backup or contacted an ambulance. Many people caught that moment on their mobile devices and testified. However that police officer is still on the NYPD and is making more money than he previously was after the murder of Eric Garner.

In 1992 according to CNN there was an incident with a man named Rodney King. He was severely beaten by the LAPD. After all that happened in Compton, California with beating and murder of 47 year old Rodney King brought everyone together. People began to get so angry with that particular situation that Compton almost went down in flames. All the gang members Crips and Bloods came together in peace for the first time in history because they all shared the same thought. In my opinion since the 1992 beating of Rodney King and all the 2013,14,15,and 16 police brutalities this is the first where people are actually coming together to make a stand and say that this is wrong. Rodney King is now and forever will be known for what the LAPD did to him. I looked up his name and saw under the biography “African American taxi driver who was severely beaten and murdered by the LAPD.” Rodney King was seen as an amiable person by his family and friends. But he is never going to be remembered like that ever again. When I looked at the biography of Rodney King I think to myself what if that was my dad? Would I really want to remember him and see that under his biography? My answer is “NO.”

I understand things can’t happen overnight, But why hasn’t anything been done to stop police brutality? You’re the Man/women in charge you make all the big decisions for our country so instead of trying to build a wall so that people can’t have a better life and Live the American Dream. And instead trying to hide personal emails, why don’t you start by helping out the community that’s having the biggest problem trying to get justice. Are we to respect the police? Are we supposed to keep quiet? Should african-american children feel as if the police are pernicious people? I do not view the police as pernicious, but I do feel that young black men should not be targeted. Some of the black men who were killed by police officers were not armed. There should be something done about this and it should happen immediately not when more African-Americans are being shot and killed by police officers.