This past weekend marked the one year anniversary since Michael Brown, Jr. was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, MO. Since then, the shootings and killings of unarmed black men by police has become a major issue. The militarization of police, racial injustice, policing policies and training are also major issues which stemmed from this event.
Michael Brown’s death sparked a movement. One where people are demanding more police accountability, more oversight, more rules for use of force and more transparency in how police are trained and punished. This movement has created a national debate about these issues. And it’s an important debate that this nation needs to have. Events over the past year prove, time and again, that the discussion is not yet over, and will probably not be over for years to come.
This morning, as I was perusing the headlines, I came across this article in The Washington Post. It’s a bit longer of a read, but it’s worth the time.
In 2015, 585 people have been shot and killed by police. Of those 585 people, 24 of them were unarmed black men. Black men are seven times more likely than white men to die by police gunfire while unarmed.
This is a problem. It needs to be addressed. There is no simple solution, no easy answer. But, in the meantime, The Washington Post does a great job of examining different fatal shootings, the responses of police, the reactions of family members, and the hurt these events inflict on communities.
So please, take a moment and read the article. And then, take another moment to think about you can do to help further the discussion. This affects all of us, whether we realize it or not. Your input and action is valuable and needed. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to speak out.
R.I.P. Michael Brown
