Everyone thinks, "Oh, that would never happen to me!"
I am included with everyone. Even with Ferguson and everything that happened with Michael Brown. That was still a distance of 20 miles or so. I still felt safe in my perfect land of Suburbia.
But all that recently changed.
Justice is defined as is the theory in which fairness is administered (Dictionary.com). You would think that right and wrong is a fairly easy thing to distinguish, right?
Apparently not, and that proves true with the recent events that have happened, not just in our country but worldwide. With mass shootings and now police violence, I feel as though the things that were there to protect us in the first place are now being turned against us.
I have grown up in Suburban St. Louis. I have rarely ever been scared for my safety or well-being. And if I do, that fear is easily fixed by local law enforcement. I mean really, the crime rate is 1 in 1,356 for a violent crime. The only crime that I really ever hear about is the occasional car break-ins or a teenager stealing beer out of someone's fridge in the garage.
But, what has happened with the times? Where has all of this stranger danger come from? I remember the days when all of the parents would hangout outside while all of us kids played in the streets in front of our houses. Nowadays, people come home from work and close their garage doors immediately. No more going out to see our neighbors or look at who hasn't mowed the lawn this week. Maybe if everyone was a little more kind and caring, we might not have issues of racism.
When a local police officer was shot during a routine traffic stop, the whole county was in an uproar. Never in my life did I think that someone would be brutally shot at someone who was trying to enforce the law. Never did I think that my town would be a trending topic on Facebook for such a disturbing reason. Never did I think that my town would be known more than "David Freese went to my high school."
Someone isn't come home to their family tonight. A man is unable to make money to provide for his family now. All because of what? Hurt feelings? How old are we now?
I understand the #blacklivesmatter movement and I support the people in charge for bringing light to the situation that racism still runs in our country.
But, what about everyone else? Does that mean they don't matter? Are you putting people down because you matter more? This country was founded on equality. Everyone is an equal human being. No one should be treated less than a human because of race, gender, sexuality, etc.
With some advice from my former middle school self and a very wise Disney princess, LET IT GO.
