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8 BOCNEWS.comJUNE 2016 After The Marches the Protest Whats Next Over the last few years I have been exposed to you have been exposed to in fact the world has been exposed to what appears to be senseless and avoidable killings of minorities particularly those of African Americans decent by the hands of law enforcement officers. Its very frustrating seeing that they appear to have lost sight of their first priorities to serve and to protect. They are acting as servants of the devil while Carrying Out The Devils Plans. Remember the scripture St. John 1010 said the devil came but to kill to steal and to destroy. I think of Michael Brown Eric Garner Walter Scott La Quan McDonald Jamar Clark Marvin Booker Freddy Gray and so many others that lost their lives by the hands of law enforcement officers. Lets be clear here IM NOT ANTI-LAW enforcement officers IM JUST PRO EQUALITY FAIRNESS FOR EVERYONE Youre skin color shouldnt be the deciding factor on how a person should be judged or the deciding fac- tor if they go home or go to the morgue. The late great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Put it best when he said a person should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. It was just as hard to come to know the fate of Trayvon Martin although he was not killed by a law enforcement officer he was killed by a bias system that failed MISERABLY and let a murderer get away with murder According to Googles statistics police killed more than 100 UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE IN 2015. 37 percent of UNARMED PEOPLE KILLED BY POLICE WERE BLACK in 2015 despite black people being only 13 percent of the U.S. Population. Whats equally alarming as the deaths are the numbers of officers not charged and even a smaller number of officers not indicted. In its findings police killed at least 102 unarmed black people in 2015 nearly twice each week. Less than 10 of the cases the officers werent even charged. Nearly 1 in 3 black people killed by police in 2015 were identified as unarmed though the actual number is likely higher due to under reporting. UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE WERE KILLED AT 5X THE RATE OF UNARMED WHITES IN 2015. You have to ask the question why And how could this actually be happening and the killers are not being held accountable Carrying Out the Devils Plans To kill to steal and to destroy When anyone kills they kill and steal the hopes and dreams as well as a generation. When they kill they destroy the lives of the loved ones that are left behind to grieve the loss of their loved ones. There has been a movement that has come from the killings of black people. The movement in which Im referring to is the BLACK LIVES MATTERS MOVEMENT. Here me clearly when I say this. Black LIVES MATTERS doesnt mean that all other lives doesnt matter. However when you look at the num- bers of blacks killed in comparison to all of the other races we want you to know that are BLACK LIVES MATTERS Just as much as all the other races lives matters. If you dont understand that or get that message then you have clearly demonstrated the inability to comprehend and look at the big picture and that youre totally missing the message THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER If it was white people lives being taken like that we see with black lives then there would be a Movement that has the message WHITE LIVES MATTER and that goes for any other races their lives would matter as well. Its very concerning to African Americans parents seeing our children being killed by law enforcement officers at the rate in which we are seeing in this day and time it just not ought to be in the 21st century. Should have never been a century for such but defi- nitely not in this century. I had this conversation with my son that I felt important enough to write about. I had reminded him of the possibility of having an encounter with the police when he is out late. SON I understand thats why Im always careful. DAD Im GLAD YOU UNDERSTAND. I PRAY GODS COVERING OVER YOU EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE TO GO HAVE FUN LIKE A TEENAGER SHOULD DO. AS YOUR DAD I KNOW YOU ARE A GOOD RESPONSIBLE YOUNG MAN AND WONT BE INVOLVED IN ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR BE AROUND ANYONE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE SAME. I KNOW YOU ARE A GOOD YOUNG MAN BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THE POLICE SEE YOU TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF HOW I SEE YOU. THEY SEE YOU AS A THUG OUT LATE AT NIGHT LOOKING FOR TROUBLE OR HAVE BEEN IN SOME TROUBLE. THEY SEE YOU THAT WAY BECAUSE THATS HOW THEY WANT TO SEE YOU. THEY WONT SEE YOU AS A YOUNG MAN THAT HAS JUST FINISHED HIS SOPHOMRE YEAR IN COLLEGE. WE HAVE A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT IS NOT FAIR THAT IS NOT HONEST DEFINITELY NOT EQUAL TO THE RIGHTS OF ALL. ITS NOT JUSTICE. ITS JUST US THAT DOESNT BENEFIT FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AS IT WAS DESIGNED FAIRNESS TO AND FOR ALL I shared with my son what to do when he is pulled over. I told him the minute he see the police lights on him call me and give me the location where he is at. As he is pulling over get his wallet out turn his cell phone recorder on. Keep both hands on the steering wheel. When the officers approach the car and ask you for your drivers license registration and proof of insurance. I told him to tell the officers that the information he requested are located in the glove compartment. I told him to tell the officer that he has his permission to get the information out of the glove compartment so he wouldnt think he was reaching for anything else. I told him to do every- thing that officer tells him to do period As Parents we pray thats enough If he miss treats you we will deal with that later THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS FOR YOUTO BE ALIVE AFTER THE STOP FROM THE COPS. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS. The bottom line after the drive you want them to come home alive We have to do more than protest after the life of our loved ones had been wrongfully taken. The protests and marches are good but the protests and marches only last for so long. After that whats next Rather being proactive lets be pre active. Im asking for a time to meet with Mayor Michael Hancock Governor Hickenlooper Chief of police Robert White Chief of police Nick Metz Civil Rights Activist Brother Jeff Civil Rights Activist Alvertis Simmons the parents of their respective communities the community as a whole and last but certainly not least all clergy men and women of God to come together. The word of God says come let us reason together. Looking for- ward to the meeting with you all as we all work for a better and safer community. Listen we need law enforcement officers they are very important to our communities I cant imagine a community without them. Were just asking them to do their jobs with integrity dignity and to respect the lives of the people that they encounter. Just as we want you to go home to your families and loved ones from a dangerous job that you put your life on the line every day your family wants you to come home well just like them we want are love ones to come home or to be alive after the encounter with law enforcement officers. A good day from work is a day where everyone gets to come back home from work THATS A GOOD DAY As a police officer youre not allowed to have a bad day on the job as non-police officers. Non police officers that have a bad day at work get sent home a bad day on the Job for a police officer could mean your love one is not coming home but you having to make home going funeral services. SO I SAY TO ONE POLICE OFFICER AS I SAY TO ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY SO THAT WE ALL CAN GO HOME. GOD BLESS YOU AND PROTECT YOU AS YOU SERVE AND PROTECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH YOU WERE SWORN TO DO SO A-MEN LETTER TO THE EDITOR By Pastor John I strongly encourage every african american parent to have this conversation with their sons and daughters. The bottom line after the drive you want them to come home alive