Outrage

I'm going to take a little license here and I hope she doesn't mind.  By now you've seen all the coverage of the two shootings of black men by police officers over the last two days.  The coverage will be sensational and mind numbing.  The supporters and detractors will go to their corners.  Al and Jesse will hurl accusations and outrage.  There will be some blindly supporting the police (who have a very tough job).  But amidst it all two men are dead.  The one in Minnesota was particularly gut wrenching.  I was trying to figure out if and how to address it when a friend posted her thoughts on FB.  I've known her, literally, since she was born.  She is smart, articulate, and possesses a sharp wit.  As I would expect, she holds nothing back.  And I agree with her 100%.

When this shit happens, I try to refrain from making judgement until all the facts and/or additional videos come out. I try to understand both sides especially if there is no video. I respect police officers and the danger they face. I understand that they are making some split second decisions in very heightened situations. I have been treated kindly by police officers and I have experienced a couple of assholes who clearly felt the need to posture and puff out their chests because they could. But I have NEVER felt in danger of getting anything but a ticket and an attitude from a police officer. And that should NOT be luck or privilege. That's the way it SHOULD be for the average citizen of ANY race who is pulled over or questioned on a street corner. And there will be explanations and justifications and the criminal histories (even if minor or non-existent) of the victims will be used to illustrate the fact that they were just up to no good. (Make sure to post their swim times too!). But give me a FUCKING break...a stop for a busted tail light turns into 4 gunshots to the chest to a man who is still wearing his god damn seatbelt with a kid in the backseat?!?! I don't know why this one horrified me more than all the others that have come before it. I think it was the calm and composure of Ms. Reynolds' voice. Or maybe it was the fact that Mr. Castile was dying in the seat next to her and she couldn't touch him because she had to keep her hands on the dashboard. Or could it be because the officer was still standing in a position of dominance with his weapon still pointed at the bleeding man and there didn't seem to be any urgency to help Mr. Castile because the officer was too busy having a meltdown. Maybe it's the fact that they had her get out of the car and then handcuffed her while her baby watched. Or maybe it's because even when the screen goes dark, you can hear her praying. Perhaps it's because the victim was trying to do the right thing by disclosing that he had a licensed concealed weapon (a disclosure that was not required of him by MN law), so as to not become another horrifying tragic fucking hashtag because his only crime was being black!

But really it's all of those things. It's because today I was talking to a young woman at work who is of mixed race and she choked up when she told me that her white father didn't know what to say to her younger brother about interacting with police if stopped so he asked his black male friends to explain it because he didn't have a frame of reference. She cried and then I cried and I said I'm so sorry and she said it's ok and I said it's not ok. I'm sickened. I'm sad. We all should be. And I don't know how to help. Is this the country we want? I'm scared shitless of ISIS and drunk drivers and rapists but our black citizens are scared of police officers. WTF America?!?! This is not ok. This is NOT ok. THIS. IS. NOT. OK.