As A Black Man, We Are Tired Of Being Harassed By The Police

We have seen the story over and over with various endings, most of them leaving with an unarmed Black man dead and no justice in sight. Let me set up a scenario for you. You are out having lunch or dinner with your family in the local mall. All of a sudden, there are police officers surrounding your table and the next thing you know, you are in handcuffs and being walked out of the mall.

This is exactly what happened to a Black man in a Virginia Beach mall, out having lunch with his family. He was almost arrested because he apparently fit the description of the suspect of a crime. This is the same story over and over again, and I am personally getting tired of it. There is a call for defunding the police. Many are not fans of it and some have issues with the name, but what does defunding the police really mean?

According to the Wikipedia definition of Defund The Police, there is a call for moving some of the funds to social issues. The money could be used as a means to help fight poverty, homelessness, and other problematic areas in various cities around the world. Yes, there is a need for police. However, we need to have a change, and consistently seeing this is not helping the situation.

Some will see this video and have a problem with his demeanor and using profanities with the officers. What I see is a man who is hurt, embarrassed, and afraid. As a man, it is our job to support and protect our families. This man is wondering if he will live to see his family again.

I have talked about this before and will continue to utilize my voice because this simply is not right. They have to do a better job of policing the police and we as Black men need to know that we will be safe to walk the streets, eat in public, and drive our cars without being profiled.

I hope this young man gets justice, and I hope Black people will one day feel comfortable and safe in being Black. I am truly ashamed at this treatment and with the loss of so many of my brothers and sisters at the hands of the very people who are supposed to protect us.

I feel like we are targeted, so I stand behind Black Lives Matter, not because we are better than anyone else and not because we should have preferential treatment over others but because yes, we matter too. Our lives matter just as much as any other tax paying citizen, and all we want are the same rights and equalities as our counterparts.