"When I was just a little boy me and my father/would go out back and play a little game of cops and robbers/One day he cocked the gun and aimed it at my mom and shot her/and I cried and cried with laughter as I realized it was just water/But things have changed now the world just ain't the same now/We're frightened but we need to be enlightened use our brains now/People pointing fingers trying to find someone to blame now/Ashamed of how the game of cops and robbers ain't a game now/These ain't water guns/so please save all our sons and daughters/What we fightin' for/Cause these ain't water guns/water guns no more" -Todrick Hall feat. Jordin Sparks, "Water Guns"
On June 23, 2016, Todrick Hall, a well known actor, singer, dancer, songwriter and YouTuber, wrote the lyrics quoted above and released them in his new album "Straight Outta Oz." One of his songs is called "Water Guns," where he features the sixth season winner of "American Idol," Jordin Sparks. "Water Guns" speaks about how the states are facing the situations of both gun control and the black lives matter movement (the word "situations" being a loose term).
Is there truly a beginning to all of this? When does it end? Sparks sings, "These ain't water guns." How long before we realize that the words in this song reflect all that has already happened and is already happening? Even in Hall's music video he makes references to Trayvon Martin, Christina Grimmie and the victims of the Orlando shooting. All shootings committed by either someone who wasn't background checked before purchasing a weapon (as some would say) or a cop who may or may not have been following protocol (others would say).
It's time to wake up, America! We are losing this battle called life. There are too many mothers having to lay their children to rest. There are too many children watching their fathers be put to rest on national TV. America, we are losing our children, our loved ones, our brothers and sisters, etc. to the entity called hate. How much more must it take before we take action against it all?
Before I get into the many cases of victims, let me just take a moment to give my condolences to the families of those who we've all lost. May they rest in peace.
Now it isn't just black lives, LGBT lives, women's lives or even blue lives that are affected with all that is going on. It is all of us. "#AllLivesMatter," has been the Internet's craving hashtag since "#BlackLivesMatter" happened. Neither is wrong, but they both have their fair share of negations. Many people who negate "#BLM," would say that it's not a race thing, but when you look at cases like Alton Sterling (Baton Rouge, Louisiana July 5, 2016) and Philando Castile (St. Paul, Minnesota, July 7, 2016), new victims in the "#BLM" cases, it seems to be a different story. However, on the "#ALM" side, it's negated that it's not all lives that are being taken, but when you look again on this same side, five officers were gunned down by a sniper in Dallas, Texas also on July 7.
Here's the point: we are victimizing ourselves! We have to stand up to all of this! On one side you have everyone fighting for stricter gun laws and gun control, and on the other you have everyone fighting for justice in the legal system. Change starts with us. Change starts with everyone coming together with one thought in mind: love. The cure to the entity called hate. Obviously we all care, because when tragedy strikes, we all retreat into those separate factions and argue among each other, rather than coming together in one big faction to fight for the changes that we all want.
Let's come together and remember those who lost their lives fighting the same fight we should be fighting. Let's protest the right way. We all want change. No more children lost because of lack of background checks. No more Trayvon Martins, Alton Sterlins, Philando Castiles or Dallas Cops. No more Christina Grimmies, "#WeAreOrlandos" or Sandy Hook Elementary Schools. It's time to put a stop to all of this. As Hall, Sparks and all of the people featured in his video would say, "These ain't water guns no more!"
R.I.P
Trayvon Martin (February 26, 2012)
Children of Sandy Hook Elementary (December 14, 2012)
Sandra Bland (July 13, 2015)
Christina Grimmie (June 10, 2016)
Victims of Orlando shooting (June 12, 2016)
Alton Sterling (July 5, 2016)
Philando Castile (July 7, 2016)
Officers of the Dallas Shooting (July 7, 2016)
