To Police Forces Across America

Hello, my name is Kimani Emmanuel, and I am sixteen years old. Only one year off from the age of a certain young man who was killed by a Caucasian college student.

I have a simple question: what stops me from never seeing my eighteenth birthday, or even my seventeenth? This question has been asked may times over by the African American community, and we still do not have a satisfactory answer. We are only given promises and momentary victories, and it repeatedly shows in the sudden and unforeseen deaths of both the old and the young. When will we be able to walk where we wish to walk without such risk, or smile upon enforcement officials in genuine respect, and not fear? If we cannot trust the police to help us when we are murdered by the common man, how can we expect them to help us when they are the murderers themselves?

I’m going to be honest. I feel very uneasy whenever I see a police officer, or a member of the armed forces. It is not because I am doing anything suspicious, or that I am in danger, it is because I do not know what to expect from these people. In short, I do not feel that my safety is guaranteed, or that my life will be valued and protected. This is not the feeling that I want to have, or that I should have. Protectors of the people should not inspire fear, uncertainty, and feelings of insecurity. The fact that they do in the eyes of not just myself, but many people throughout several communities throughout the country implies that there has been a failure regarding the public image and private practices of protection-related agencies across throughout. Should you value the opinions and support of the people that you protect, then it would certainly help to start by changing your image drastically.

What you do at this point is entirely up to you. The public cannot change your image for you. The choices that you make from here on will shape many things, and not just your image in the eyes of the public. The easiest and best way to go about it would be to do what’s right. Ultimately, it is still your choice, not ours.