This one is gonna be short & sweet, today. Had another #SameHere “Hear Us Out” discussion w some friends @dphhr & @lcarterny originally from Brownsville, BK, earlier.
There are SO many perspectives on the relationships that exist btwn cops & citizens. Based on where you grew up, what you look like, what your background is, you could have any number of feelings about our system of policing.
Here is one of the bottom lines, however: Cops are humans – & have their own traumas…People of Color are humans – & have their own traumas…White People are humans – & have their own traumas. These traumas are a combination of inter-generational/epigenetic traumas based on what ancestors lived through, & situational traumas being lived through right now.
If we don’t understand each other…if we don’t hear about each other’s perspectives…if we don’t learn what each of us has been through & how those challenges are different/the same & why they give us the feelings we have & then learn how to work on them…if we don’t share some of our similarities, we will keep shouting over one another & never get anywhere.
There are all these campaigns out there – some you may agree w, some you may not…but let’s add another one to the mix that I hope we can all agree on: #FundMentalHealthEducation, in schools & in careers. If not, the trauma just keeps getting passed from person to person.
