Mourning together
Jul 11, 2016
Today America mourns.
My boyfriend mourns for the loss of Brent Thompson and the other Dallas police officers killed in their line of duty. His heart breaks for yet another death of a police officer.
My friend mourns for the loss of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Her heart breaks for yet another death of a black male.
My boyfriend preaches a thin blue line. He is an advocate for law enforcement.
My friend preaches black lives matter. She is an advocate for racial equality.
My boyfriend is in physical pain thinking of the fatalities. Officers are killed while protecting citizens. He can’t sleep, tossing and turning, thinking of the innocent officers killed. He is angry that officers were killed because of the color of their uniform.
My friend is in physical pain thinking of the fatalities. Black men are killed while reaching for their driver’s license. She can’t sleep, tossing and turning, thinking of the innocent black men killed. She is angry that men were killed because of the color of their skin.
My friend yearns for someone to care about these deaths. For the public to recognize these deaths. She wishes people outside the community shared this grief. She feels alone.
My boyfriend doesn’t want to go to work. He wants to call off and grieve. He has no energy. He is emotionally and physically tired. His coworkers do not understand.
My friend doesn’t want to go to work. She wants to call off and grieve. She has no energy. She is emotionally and physically tired. Her coworkers do not understand.
My boyfriend cries for the families without sons, children without fathers, the women without husbands, and the cops without partners.The officer’s families just want them to come home alive and safe. Do whatever they have to do to return to their families. But they didn’t come home.
My friend cries for the families without sons, children without fathers, the women without husbands, and the men without friends.The black men’s families just want them to come home alive and safe. Do whatever they have to do to return to their families. But they didn’t come home.
My boyfriend pleads stop killing officers. He can’t handle another death. He can’t handle more generalizations. Something needs to be done to stop this injustice.
My friend pleads stop killing black men. She can’t handle another death. She can’t handle more generalizations. Something needs to be done to stop this injustice.
Today America mourns but America does not mourn together. Instead of uniting in grief, we are divided in hatred. The media seems to present these deaths in a way that discourages mourning for both. That you can not mourn for the loss of an innocent officer and an innocent black man. That’s not true though. It’s not mutually exclusive.
Both sides are experiencing similar feelings. Both sides have suffered due to prejudice and gun violence. Both sides could band together to reform the criminal justice system and to create communities. To improve officer and citizen relations. America could mourn together and unite against injustices.
