Police Brutality

Do you feel safe around a police officer? Many people answer no to that question, and that is usually because that specific person is doing something illegal, for example, speeding. 99.9 percent of the time a police officer is doing his/her job to serve and protect. 99.9 percent of the time a black man is minding his own business.

“Freeze! Put your hands in the air. Do you have a gun under there? Do you have any weapons, do you have any confessions?” How many times does a police officer repeat himself before he sees the man or woman as a threat? How many times do they say it before they take action? When a man approaches a police officer who commands him to not come any closer he is signing the waiver for himself to get shot. His skin color, the cop should give no thought. How many times must a black man comply to orders only to have the cop assault him and say he fought?

Police brutality is a two laned road. Each side has people that make it look bad while there are others that enrich the picture of their social group. Not every black man is a thug, not every black man hates the police, not every black man listens to the police officer. Not every police officer is a racist, not every police officer looks to abuse their authority, not every police officer follows the rule book.

This country needs unity, rather than you and me. Our opportunity as a community is unity. We are fighting divided when we need to be reunited. Rather than being each separate finger we can unite into a fist. Shooting a 3 pointer as a country, we won’t miss. Together we can share a kiss.