We had a relative recently die while in police custody. It was tragic and sad and unexpected. He was white, and the officers that were with him were white.

We didn’t riot.

Why not? Why didn’t we riot and burn our city? Why didn’t we scream the injustice of white on white brutality? Why was no one there to scream about the hatred that was obviously there when our relative died?

Because it doesn’t make sense to do such a hateful act during such a tragic time. It breaks my heart to see a city turn on itself, instead of uniting, and showing the world that we are more. We are more than what the media likes to portray. We are more than black and white. We are Americans, and we are all human.

Some of us make mistakes, some of us make bad choices. At the end of the day we are in control of how we act during a whirlwind tragedy. We are in control. I feel that, as humans, we need to break stereotypes, and unite as a whole. Everyone, no matter their color, makes their own choices. Good ones, bad ones…..It seems so sad that all of this has to still stem from discrimination, instead of stemming from bad choices made. If we eliminate the color, and just see people as people, reactions to bad situations just may change.

If we would have rioted over our relative’s death, what would that have made us? What would that have done to change the current situation, or prevent this from happening again? Nothing. Rioting is different than protesting. Rioting is barbaric, and hurtful to the community and the country. This causes a new divide that is so unnecessary.

It is definitely a sad day today, as I watch the news, and watch a city that has turned on itself……again. If we want something to change, to make the country we live in become better, we, as Americans, have to get it together already. We, as Americans, have to become the change that we want to see in this country.