Those policemen in Dallas did not deserve to die. Neither, though, did the vast majority of people of color killed by the police. There is no contradiction in saying these two things unless you think there’s a war, unless you see it as “us” against “them.” Philando Castile and Alton Sterling did not deserve to be killed. Attempting to justify their killings by posting their criminal records or showing their mug shots on TV is abominable. Attempting to cover up the actions that lead to their killings is criminal*.
This has to stop. Black lives matter, although you sure as hell wouldn’t know it by watching the news.
On the left the selfie the news chose to broadcast when reporting on a white woman arrested for the beating death of a homeless man. On the right is the mugshot the news used for the victim of police violence. The problem isn’t just with law enforcement; it’s everywhere.
I’m not an activist. I wouldn’t call myself woke by any means. I’m not the person to look to for solutions, and these are failings in myself I need to address.
I’ll say this, though: I’m done caring at all about what one politician or another does with their e-mails or how clever their tweets are. My voting this November is going to be based on nothing but justice, and by justice, I mean “treating people of color the way white people are treated.”
- Anyone, from the presidential candidates down to the city council, who supports escalating violence or more killing, is a candidate I will vote against even if they’re running unopposed.
- Any candidate whose response to the current situation is that we need more police and more military weapons for them, I will do everything within my limited power to oppose.
- Any candidate saying “All Lives Matter” is one I will vote against.
- Any candidate who supports for-profit policing and for-profit prisons? Fuck you.
Any candidate in an election who offers anything concrete to make this situation better will get my vote, regardless of their party. I am a one-issue voter now.
I have had, for the most part, benign encounters with law enforcement. Until law enforcement treats people who don’t look like me as well as they treat me, we don’t have law. Until the justice systems treats people who don’t look like me as well as they treat me, we don’t have justice. Until our country treats people who don’t look like me as well as it treats me, we don’t have a country, or at least, not one worth being proud of.