Dear Police Officer,

To be honest, I have had incredibly limited contact with you. Just once actually, when my car died in the middle of a state fair and you jump started my car for me. Nevertheless, I have always admired the courage it took to leave your house every day without knowing if you will return, to kiss your family goodbye and wonder if it is the last time. Every day you put your life on the line to ensure that civilians like me will be safe, and I thank you for that.

You see I am from another country, a country in which the police are as useless as I am when it comes to defense. When my mother was mugged while she was walking with me and my younger brother they did nothing. All we got was an apology and a "I hope you are okay". I was eight at the time and I remember thinking that if I was in America the police would go after the bad guy and save the day. You were the epitome of a hero in my mind.

But now I am petrified of you.

I am scared that you will take away the people I love the most. I have nightmares about my father being pulled over and shot because he reached to get his drivers license. I am cannot go to sleep thinking that my brother might be shot because you mistook his autism as disrespect, him talking to himself as contempt, his large stature as a threat. Every time another innocent dies I see my family. Every time someone says “All lives matter” I hear that mine does not. Every time I see you I see myself at a funeral.

I know this is not your fault, I do. How can you see my father as a successful family man when the media shows all black men dangerous? How can you tell that my brother has autism when all young, big black boys are portrayed as gang members in movies? How can you see us as human beings when we are presented as are a threat to the public?

So let me introduce you to my family.

My father is the best man I know. He was a professor at a university, he taught computer science. When the opportunity presented itself, he came to America to get his masters. He donates to hospitals and to police stations. He has never made us feel anything but loved and cherished. Please don’t shoot him.

My mother is the strongest person I know. She is a nurse at a retirement home and is the person who taught me kindness and showed me what it means to be a Christian. She gives people the shirt off her back and refuses to take anything in return. She sends money back home to help our family and the poor. Please don’t shoot her.

My brother is the most important person to me. He has the biggest heart of anybody I know, and tries his best to communicate with the world despite his autism. He loves any action movie, especially the Power Rangers. He might have a large stature and look threatening, but he is not. Please don’t shoot him.

I love my family. I am not the best person in the world but I try to be kind and treat everyone with respect. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but it is not worth exploring without the people I love the most. Please don’t shoot me.

You are still a hero to me, the person I depended on to keep my world safe. Next time you have to pull your gun remember that my family is not unique; we are not the outliers. Most black families are like us, full of love and joy. Our hands are up. We are not a threat. Please don’t shoot.

Sincerely,

A black girl.