Hump Day Talk!

This morning I woke up with a text message with a video attached. It was sent the night before but I’m old so I was knocked out. Moving on…

The news stations were blowing up before I even attempted to open the video. Hearing the news of what happened in South Carolina was both shocking and not so shocking. Again my blogs are my opinion and nothing else. Shocking because despite everything that’s been happening with officers allegedly (since they are not being convicted, JS) shooting unarmed people of color. Why is it not shocking? Well, because it’s starting to happen a little too frequently. It used to be that we couldn’t turn on the news without seeing some misguided youth gunning down one another. Now it’s the ones that are put in positions to uphold the law committing these heinous crimes.

Could there be more to each story?

Of course but it’s not like we, the public, will ever get the full details.

Could these individuals actually feel threatened? 

Anything is possible. 

Could there have been an alternate solution to invoke an alternate ending? 

HECK YES! 

What happened to the law that NO ONE, especially a cop can shoot someone in the back? I recall countless stories of folks being charged with murder for that fact alone. When did that rule change? As far as I know it hasn’t.

I needed time to both process the information the news was reporting and reflect on how it was making me feel. So I decided not to watch the video I received just yet.

Not even a full thirty minutes after dropping my oldest son off at school, DH gets a text from him with some questions of his own. Don’t get me wrong we have in-depth conversations with our kids about these type of issues because they need to be aware of what goes on in the world. His text read:

“So is it or is it not against the law to shoot someone who runs from the police?”

DH gave him the text-book answer or at least the way it’s been stating in the law. “It’s against the law to shoot anyone in the back. Be it a police officer or a citizen.” Knowing full well he had to be engaged in a discussion for him to pull out his phone at school and text that question. WTAH… (What the actual, fill in your h-word) Being that it has become a raging black/white issue, what happened that this issue came up in discussion?

For a parent that has been subjected to racial profiling on more than one occasion coming up in the 90’s in central LR, you have certain views about cop activity. With the way things have begun to change over the years, the fears of what is to come from a routine traffic stop has grown tenfold. Then to have a child that is in the beginning stages of driving and will soon be out on his own, the fear is so real.

Then at one of my work sites the conversation started up on their end. Of course, I overheard things such as ‘he must have done something,’ ‘he shouldn’t have run,’ ‘it’s going to turn into another one of those cases,’ and so on. All of this is said while I am still out of sight but as soon as it’s clear they are not alone, the conversation ceases. I completed my job and moved on because I don’t do debates with losing odds. Why do I say it like that? Religion, politics, and in most cases world news are sore subjects for so many.

When I finally watched the uncut video on youtube I was at a loss for words but yet so enraged at the acts displayed. I will cut it off there because I could probably write, write, and write some more to describe how awful I feel after watching. My heart goes out to the family and I pray the Lord is with them. I pray for justice although as of late the system just doesn’t seem to work for everyone, in every case, and in some dreadful instances. Only time will tell how this ends.

In closing, everyone that reads this take a few minutes out of your day to pray for the family. No matter if you agree with the cops behavior or not. No matter if you side with the ones accused or the innocent. Let us just pray. Pray for our youth to make better decisions. Pray that if they do come into contact with law enforcement or anyone else who insists to uphold the law, they will get fair treatment. Being shot in the back isn’t fair anyway a story is perceived. Put yourself in this mother, brother, or child’s shoes… no matter what color you are, what if your loved one was taken away as they ran away? Running does not signify a threat.

Alright y’all. I’m stepping down off my soap box. Just in my feelings a little bit. Feel free to comment, I don’t mind.

Much Love ~Nappyredd30~