What can I do?
That’s my thought tonight. There was a second “officer involved shooting” in the news today, this one in Minneapolis. Philando Castile, shot 4 times while reaching for his wallet, as ordered by officers. This after Alton Sterling’s murder yesterday in Baton Rouge.
What can I do?
Being vocal on Twitter and Facebook isn’t doing anything. It’s voicing my opinion in my own social chamber, limited to those who think mostly the way I do.
Should I be involved in Campaign Zero? I feel like if I did so, I should be involved more than just contacting my reps. Being in Seattle, all of my representatives align with the goals of the campaign, and vote as such.
I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time in the past two days angry, and sad. I saw – without audio – the video of Alton Sterling’s killing. I listened to his son breaking down on the radio, crying for his father. I saw the still image of Philando Castile, bloody shirt, and couldn’t bring myself to watch. I closed the page, and tweeted the link with angry words.
There’s a very twisted sense of relief, of luck, that I’m white, and that I’ll never fear for my life the way black men do. My son, though multi-racial, is very light skinned, and will likely easily pass as white. He will likely never fear for his life that way black men do. Injustice in the world, though, whether it will every directly affect me, my family, or my friends, angers me greatly. Anger accomplishes nothing.
I need to do something.