By Pamela Sweetwood
I recorded this on Friday after two incidents of black men dying after police encounters and a group of police ambushed at a protest. Information is still coming out, a lot is unknown, and that will be the case for some time to come. There is no guess as to what this will develop into.
Sadly it is not a new or infrequent place for our country to be in.
My wish is that people can be sensitive to all. Those of us that are white cannot fully understanding the continuous judgment, assumptions, and scrutiny many minorities experience on a regular basis. We need to be supportive and understanding rather than have this tear the fabric of our country further apart. To do so, is not to be against the police. It is not mutually exclusive.
The police have a hard job which is compounded when particular members act in a questionable manner. In addition to that, add in the perpetual threat of terrorism. My heart goes out to them and what anger they must face and how impossible their jobs may seem some days.
We need to grieve lives lost, grieve for their families and friends. The pain is severe. We all lose when tragedy like this occurs. So many lives, futures, and families forever effected.
It has been comforting to me to hear on the news those that appreciate the concern, understand the tragedy, and are committed to a fair, thorough response which doesn’t pick sides but rather handles matters with integrity. This week I personally was impressed with the Mayor of Baton Rouge, the Director of the FBI, and several community leaders from the areas affected. Instead of dividing us by race or political party, they provide me hope that we can indeed come out of this as a better society. We need to be.
Pamela Sweetwood was an ISU student, like many, who never left town. She works in higher education and has a history with many community non-profits organizations.
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