I can’t breathe

I don’t usually write in this space about current events. But after yesterday I feel helpless. So I am writing for catharsis if nothing else.

Yesterday told us that police officers can just feel free to kill whoever they want. Yesterday told us that our justice system is still broken. Yesterday told us that we have learned precious little since the 60s.

I am not at risk here. As a middle class white woman I could go out and commit all sorts of crimes and be fine. But being personally protected from this means nothing. Killing an innocent man is wrong. Condoning that killing compounds the wrong. As a society, we cannot accept this.

Eric Garner did nothing and yet he was murdered in the street by police sworn to “protect and serve”. He did not fight back. He was not posing a physical risk to anybody. He just asked to breathe. What could he have done to avoid being murdered? Nothing. Mr. Garner broke the law the same way parking illegally is breaking the law. Deserving a fine? Sure. But not violence. Not death.

I want to believe that our country is on the right track. I want to believe racism is on the wane. But after all that’s happened recently, how can anyone believe that? I am lucky to be a white woman in a small town. I am lucky to be the parent of a white child. I am lucky in all sorts of ways, and it is sickening that luck like that can be the difference between safety and constant danger in America.

I am helpless, but I don’t want to be silent. I want to be on the record publicly and say: this is not right.