Our Humanity is at Stake

I have a lot of feelings to process this week…

My kids have been dealing with the unthinkable at school…violence in the hallways and bathrooms, a weapon found on school property, multiple shelter in places, community outrage, school cancelations to try to find solutions, and a mom who wants to bubble-wrap them and keep them home forever.

Then there was the horrific revelation of police brutality in Memphis. I have so many thoughts swirling in my head…shock, anger, disgust, fear and uncertainty. I was out of the country when Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by police, so this week was when it fully hit my radar*.

I was driving to work when I heard on the news that five police officers were charged with his murder. Admittedly, I was happy…finally a glimmer of hope in quelling the senseless killing of Black men by law enforcement. My heart sank later when I realized his accusers were all Black men. Not because they don’t deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law but because they should know better.

They should have known more than anyone the fear Black people, particularly men, have of police. They should have known that their actions would perpetuate the Black-on-Black crime storyline. They should have known that they, like all Black people, are held to a higher standard and acted accordingly.

I don’t understand what is going on in our world. When did lethal violence become the language of our youth? Why can’t we see the humanity in one another instead of acting like life is a zero-sum game? Why do tensions have to get to a fever pitch before we realize that we need to do better?  Why do we spend more time finger-pointing than locking arms to find solutions? Why do my children have to comfort me during a shelter-in-place, assuring me they are safe and will be fine? Why have we normalized so much violence in our day-to-day lives?

I don’t know if I will find answers to my questions. I do know that we can collectively do better. I don’t accept the trajectory we are on, and I am committed to finding positive ways to engage in conversations, find solutions and have an impact on our world.

 ~Shelley

*I have purposely tried to limit my news intake because it impacts my mental health. I vacillate on this choice often because I feel like I’m contributing to the problem by choosing to but my blinders on in the name of self-preservation. I don’t want to be completely disengaged, and I am working on finding the balance. I believe that issues must be brought to light in our collective consciousness so change can be made.