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Courtesy of my smartphone, I woke up to a barrage of headlines about black people who were killed at the hands of police. Headline after headline of black men being gunned down by police. Before I could watch the video or read the article, I had to watch or read an ad first. I often wonder how much revenue in ads is generated proceeding the report of yet another black person killed by the hands of law enforcement. The triggering phrases like "unclear why a black man was killed by police" or "black student killed in the bathroom by police."
SO MANY QUESTIONS HARDLY ANY ANSWERS
Why does the word black must be used to describe the victim in the headline? Does reading the words "black man shot by police" in a headline grab more eyes? Does using the word black to describe a victim take the guilt away from the incident?
Are people not bothered that a teenager was gunned down in the bathroom of a school regardless of race? Is the objective to have the black community living in constant flight or fight mode?
THE SOLUTION
The black community needs time to heal from decades of trauma. The media's constant bombardment of the fatal blows black people receive at the hands of law enforcement makes the healing process difficult. The media portrays the narrative of only blacks end up dead at the hands of law enforcement. A quick internet search would show the number of other race communities that have lost life to law enforcement. Other races are not reported to enhance the gaslighting effect by the media. The frustrated black community must remain focused on its goals. Black people must continue to advance themselves into positions of power to have a say in the legislative process. Open dialogue is needed to reduce the possibility of a fatality when police and citizens interact with one another. The black community has to make a push for peace and to live a joyful life.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
This article urges the media to stop making it look like only black people die at the hands of the police. If the media is going to report, please report all sides of the coin. The larger scope is to investigate how law enforcement handles all American citizens, regardless of race. The future is shaping up to be a cold and dark place if the love for humanity does not return to the equation. Live life to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised regardless of race.
Point of reference:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/
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