On March 21,2009 I was in Oakland getting my hair done. I would drive an hour from my home to a salon in Oakland twice a month. On this particular day I witnessed a tragedy that would change the way I viewed the dangers Police Officers face for the rest of my life. 4 police officers were killed in the city of Oakland on this day by a convicted felon who who was wanted on a no bail no warrant parole violation. He shot and killed all 4 Police Officers. 2 during a traffic stop and 2 on scene. This goes down in the history books as one of the worst attacks on the Police force in California.
The following days after the shooting did bring racial tensions between law enforcement and the African American community. The officers that were slain were of Asian and Caucasian descent whereas the shooter was African American. Many people from the neighborhood tried to help at the scene of the shooting but off to the side there were groups taunting and laughing at the situation, at the death of these officers. The officers were all under 45 years of age.
Police brutality and accountability for actions of that nature is a very real struggle in Minority majority communities and equality for those communities in the arena of police affairs must be reached, but not at the expense of any lives, African American lives or Police lives. The only way to obtain a mutual understanding of the struggle both sides face is by open and honest communication. Protesters have the right to peaceful marches and rallies and the Police have the right to be safe. Violence on either side will solve nothing at all and only serve to further the struggle for both parties to find mutual and common understanding of the issues each group are faced with. The ultimate goal should be solutions.
Solutions do not look like both parties attacking one another on Social Media hashtags like #shootthecops #killthepolice or #Nypdlivesdontmatter, what message are you trying to convey? Is it a message of peace or an invitation to war with the police and invoke a police state? It does not serve the purpose of reconstructing laws that do not discriminate against minority communities, it places the Police in a defensive position to protect themselves. Likewise hashtags such as #blacklivesdontmatter are doing equally the amount of intolerable damage invoking rage and anger in the African American communities.The only real solution are leaders rising up who want and see good for both sides of the argument and find solutions birthed in a peaceful place. The protection of all human life should be the focus of real resolutions
There once was a time when Police Officers would go into schools speak about their jobs, teach children not to do drugs and made themselves available in advice and friendship to all kids.They made themselves safe. Going back to those days would be a step in the right direction. Textbooks in school teaching a transparent education of African American history as well as an accurate teaching of all minority communities history including the Muslim population would create a well balanced multi-cultural population of people that have tolerance through education. We must make changes that are long term solutions to the racial tension that we face in the United States, we must eradicate the roots of racism and believe what we say, that we are a free nation who respects all religion, races, creeds and sex. Are we really a tolerant people or are we liars?
Education reform along with racial profiling, mandatory data collections of races in certain states as well as accountability for use of force needs an immediate overhaul. We must work together as a nation in peaceful and productive dialog to transform a broken system and promote unity with law enforcement and civilians of all races. Resolutions must reflect the desire to preserve human life, that is and must remain the focus.
