Reflection Day 4: Dear officer, Im just walking home – please dont shoot. I know I look like that guy you saw in that video, the one who had all the girls around him. He was tossing up money, spinning his chain and popping those cristal, goose and ciroc bottles. After that he shot that dude in the head. I saw it too, but Im not him and what he did wasn’t real – he wasn’t real – so please dont shoot. Dear officer, I’m just playing in the park – please don’t shoot. I know your superiors told you that were all the same. “They all kill each other and sell dope,” he yelled to you. “They’ll steal from you stores and will take your girl’s innocence.” But that’s not true. I’m 12, in the 8th grade, want to maybe be a lawyer. Just like any other kid I like to play outside, play video games, hang with my friends and sometimes play with my air gun. Im not perfect, sometimes I talk to much in school, talk back to my mom, get mad at my sister, don’t finish all my homework, but I’m just like any other kid – like your kid —so please don’t shoot. Dear officer, I’m just standing on my stoop—please don’t shoot. I know I “fit the description,” meaning I’m black and tall and “spooky.” I know some of your friends told you that we all want welfare and smoke crack and rob each other, but that’s not true. Im just chilling outside after a long day of work. Smoking a cigarette, drinking a brew, looking at all the people walking through the neighborhood. Im just chillaxing -– so please dont shoot. Dear officer – Im just rehearsing for my play — please dont shoot. I know someone called and said theres a black guy on the university campus yelling, waving a bat around and causing a scene. I know they said the girl I was yelling at, feared for her life. I know they only saw she and I, even though someone was outside watching with a pen and pad, taking notes, occasionally stopping the yelling and telling me to scream louder and miming the movement. I know when you two rode up and drew the guns you didnt see three college students rehearsing Fences, but a black man in rage, a killing machine on the verge of snapping. But I was just working for my A – so please dont shoot. Dear officer, Im a human – a flawed human – a frustrated human –a weird human – a hippie human – a hood human – a sometimes judgmental human – a volatile human – a mis-educated human – an Ivy League human – a community college human — a drop out human — an ex-convict human — a scared human – a fed up human – a just want to survive and strive human — a just like you human – so officer – please, pretty please – DON’T SHOOT. -YaKe Smith
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 23:35:40 +0000
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