Accountability

I am writing this as a half-white woman who knows I have privilege. As a Mexican, I see my brown people facing similar issues. As a white woman, I am sorry. I am so so sorry for the society that we live in. To Black and Brown people, I am sorry that you have been tossed aside and been treated as "other" for your entire life. You important, valuable, and worthy of love. I am sorry. Derek Chauvin may look like justice or accountability, but it is only because the world was watching. A majority of police are not held accountable for the people they have killed.

I am sorry that you have been put in a negative light for your entire life. I am sorry that American culture puts you down. I am sorry people do not care.

I am sorry that people of color have been pitted against each other; minority against minority, scrambling to be validated by the white man.

I recognize that while cops keep saying, "we just want to come home," they made the choice to put themselves in a dangerous situation. They put on a uniform. You did not. You can not help the color of your skin. I want you to be able to go home without worry.

We have been raised in a culture that any color other than white is less than and undesirable. You are beautiful. I promise. I'm sorry that you have been told otherwise. I know my words mean nothing. I can not singlehandedly fix the problem but I wish I could. My words mean nothing after centuries of my ancestors colonizing and destroying.

This letter is selfish as I just want you to know you have someone on your side, but it means nothing overall besides giving comfort to myself that someone may read this and know I care, not that it matters. I am one person.

I feel that this government is hopeless. The white people keep saying change is slow but when the change is at the hands of black and brown bodies, it makes no difference to them. White people can say justice is served because 1 cop finally was found guilty, but there is no justice until the current government is toppled. We have to start over, but there is no way to do it peacefully, and that breaks my heart.

White people need to open their eyes and see that there is suffering that they have been ignorant of. They need to have their faces shoved into the blood on their hands.

Being peaceful keeps the white people from being able to blame you for your own oppression, but they still do. Being violent gives them a reason to be violent back. It feels like there is no hope in this neverending system.

I by no means have a political background, but your lives and bodies are not politics. You are human, not a debate.

Dear White people, get your shit together. You aren't special. You are a bully who thinks if they can hold down other people, then you are the good guy. We are angry and hurt and you don't do anything, claiming you care about diversity. Do you feel good about yourself? You convicted one guy. Job well done. Now, will you go back to ignoring all the other cops who take advantage of the power you gave them? Or will you start taking this shit seriously?

You stole land, stole people, and stole culture. Now is the time to make up for it. Convict every police officer who has murdered an innocent person. Being bad at your job is no excuse. If you cannot handle a high-pressure situation then you should not have that job. You should not have the job at all. The police is an inherently racist institution that should be brought down.