I Feel Like I’m Actually Living The Groundhog Day Movie

If you've ever seen the movie "Groundhog's Day" starring Bill Murray, then you know what the premise of the movie is about. For the duration of the movie, every morning that Bill's character wakes up, he repeats the same day over and over again. Regardless of how he tries to offset the prior day, his day starts all over again.

This is what I feel like when I wake up to another senseless killing of a black man or woman at the hands of our paid civil service men and women. The most recent killing is of Tulsa, Oklahoma man, Terence Crutcher. After doing a little research on him, I found out that he is a father of 4 and was actually furthering his education in music, as he was an avid member of the church in his hometown. The mishap happened as he was heading home and had some issues with his SUV before all hell broke loose.

The officer, Betty Shelby, who shot the fatal bullet is a 5-year Tulsa Police Department employee who has now been placed on Paid Administrative Leave during the investigation. The reason I compare this situation to Groundhog Day is because this is becoming a regular occurrence, and there are far too many people who support this type of conduct, rather then condemning what is happening. There are too many good policemen and women out there who actually take their vows to protect us seriously, but they are being overshadowed by the bad ones who are few and far in between, and who abuse the power that they have. I am a 6'1 black man, and I would like to know if I would be considered a danger if I look threatening or intimidating to an officer of the law with my hands raised.

There is far too much assuming going on, where people want to judge on what their perceptions of us are. You can't look at an individual and say they look dangerous any more than you can look at a married couple and think they're happy just because they're smiling at each other. The only way that we (blacks) will feel as if someone actually cares about the violent treatment that we are receiving is that when things like this happen, other policemen and women stand up and say something.

If I were in the car with someone who sold drugs, even if I didn't know and we get pulled over, I would be considered an accessory if they were to be arrested. I would possibly be arrested with them. If four people were to break into your home, but only one person takes some of your valuables, if you're going to prosecute, I would think that all should be prosecuted, as all were in the home at the time of the crime.

If some of the officers would have intervened and said that this wasn't right or questioned the shooting officer, then maybe Terence, Alton, Sandra and others would possibly be alive now. I need for my Groundhog Day to end, so that I can get away from this nightmare and try to live in a world where we all get along. where there are no insecure cowards hiding behind a badge. They are paid by us to protect us, but there are the few in-between who are endangering our lives on a daily basis. There should not be paid administrative leave for those who break the law and abuse their power. Also, if there are settlements for families, as in Sandra Bland's case, that money should come from the guilty officer's pension, and not from hard working, tax paying individuals like me or you.

If we had more repercussions at hand like these, I truly believe that our right to live would be respected a little more, and crime on the black man or woman would be a little less. Only time will tell if this will ever happen, but we need changes. We are starting to feel like we are not wanted here, and are on a daily mission of trying to stay alive.