Tag: Black Lives Matter

Current Events, Politics

Why Police Officers Need to Be Held to Higher Standards

I have been a staunch advocate against police brutality. Not because I am anti police, but because I am anti injustice. I have written quite extensively about my views whether be it here on my blog or via my social media pages. It is my duty as a writer to use my voice as a change agent. Watching videos of Brown and Black people get murdered by the very individuals entrusted with keeping us safe are becoming as common as an internet meme being shared and re-posted millions of times. Watching the killing of our people is becoming normalized and watching someone get murdered before our eyes should never feel normal. So when people say to me “Well, how about the number of cops who get killed every day in the line of duty? I never see you say anything about them” I get angry. Not because I don’t value the lives of the officers, but because unlike unarmed civilians, cops have made a conscious decision to risk their lives by choosing to be police officers. Moreover, every time I turn on the evening news or every time I log onto Facebook or Twitter I am not being bombarded by images and videos of cops being murdered. Why not? Because it is understood that death is a possible consequence of choosing to be a cop. Therefore, if a cop is killed in the line of duty we know they have made the ultimate sacrifice in performing their job function. This is not an expectation we have for the average American. Continue reading Why Police Officers Need to Be Held to Higher Standards

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Current Events, Politics, Writing

Policing the Police: Who Do You Call When Cops Murder?

As I watch the news and read the first eye witness accounts and see the images on the internet, I am horrified and I am afraid of the direction this country is headed. This is all too familiar and very reminiscent to the Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s. I can sit here and discuss the countless ways our constitutional rights are being violated. I can argue about the lack of accountability in holding these police departments legally responsible for many of these senseless deaths, but the reality is that none of those things matter, at least not when it comes to the targeting and shooting of people of color. If it did there would not be such a brazen abuse of power amongst police officers not only in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, but all over the country. The fact is these officers hide behind their badge and use their shield as an excuse to be above the law. Continue reading Policing the Police: Who Do You Call When Cops Murder?

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Current Events

List of Resources for Calling or Writing to Your Federal, State, & Local Leaders #StayWoke

If you’re hurting like I am right now, thinking about the recent police violence that is happening across the country, but you have not yet contacted your elected representatives to make your voice heard, it’s time. Below I have compiled a list of resources to assist you in calling and writing to your federal, state, and local officials. The below only includes English language resources. My hope is to have an equivalent list in Spanish in the days to come. Now more than ever it is imperative that we make our voices heard. We can no longer afford to stay silent.

Continue reading List of Resources for Calling or Writing to Your Federal, State, & Local Leaders #StayWoke

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Current Events, Politics, Real Talk With Nancy, Writing

My Take on the Dallas Shootings, the Media, & Why Black Lives Matter Too

While we mourn and acknowledge the Dallas shootings please let us not forget about #AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile and the many others who have been gunned down by law enforcement who have abused their power. What happened in Dallas speaks volumes about the state of this country. Civilians are getting killed. Cops are getting killed and the solution is not more killing. Killing doesn’t change a thing. All it does is leave an aftermath of grief, sorrow, frustration and anger. Stop killing. Start listening. We must all be a part of the solution. Continue reading My Take on the Dallas Shootings, the Media, & Why Black Lives Matter Too

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Current Events, Politics, Real Talk With Nancy

In Cold Blood: Why The Killing of Alton Sterling Requires Us To Stay Woke and Take Action

I am not here criticizing the officers who get it right, the ones who do their job, the ones who serve their communities they way they’re supposed to; with respect and value for human life, for all lives. This is not about them. This is about the blatant disregard of our lives and the lack of accountability of those who get it wrong, the ones who abuse their power, and the ones who have documented patterns of abuse, yet are still allowed to patrol our streets. This is about the Scott Aldridges (Cleveland PD) the Daniel Willises, (Bastrop County PD, Texas), the Phil Atkinses (NYPD), the Daniel Pantaleos (NYPD), the Darren Wilsons (Ferguson PD) and the many others who get it wrong. Continue reading In Cold Blood: Why The Killing of Alton Sterling Requires Us To Stay Woke and Take Action

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