Dear Kiantha: Demonstrators see the need for change across the nation

Dear Kiantha,

I have a heart and bleed red just like the rest of us so don’t take this comment the wrong way. I understand the death of the young Black man in Memphis, Tennessee, was a bad thing, but I don’t understand why other cities have to deal with protesters causing trouble when they had nothing to do with the incident in Memphis.

Dear Friend,

Let me first assure you that I am glad to hear that you bleed red like the rest of us. If you were to report bleeding of any other color, I would recommend that we table this until we get the issue of blood figured out as I would be extremely concerned about your health.

Please note that I did not taking your comment “the wrong way.” I believe that your concern is one that many others may also share. They say that it is easier to understand situations when they involve our loved ones so for that sake of this conversation, let’s imagine for a moment that a similar attack happened to one of your loved ones. While death is a contract that we all must sign, death at the hands of others – especially police – is something that none of us should tolerate.

If someone close to you had been unjustly slain by police, I imagine you would want it to be referred to as murder not simply death. Putting ourselves in the shoes of others can help us to understand why language and terminology matters.

I appreciate your desire to understand why other cities have to “deal with protesters causing trouble when they had nothing to do with the incident in Memphis.” For as long as policing has been a thing in our nation, there have been incidents in every city, in every state, of excessive use of force and the over policing of people of color.

While this most recent incident happened in Memphis, the need for some level of reforms nationally remains cause for activism. Historically protests are seen as a way for communities to make public their grievances and criticism of social structures and systemic inequities. The collective voice is used to bring broader attention to a matter of concern.

Protest typically isn’t done to “cause trouble” rather it is a response to trouble.

When people peacefully protested this past week in cities outside of Memphis, they did so in the spirit of solidarity while also shedding light on the need to prevent these events from happening in Anytown, USA.

God forbid this happened to your loved one; I would certainly stand with you and your family in bringing attention to such a horrific crime, and I would hope that people in other cities would join me in supporting you and your family as well. My support would not be dependent on the color of your skin but rather the content of your grief.

Soul to soul,

Kiantha

Dear Kiantha can be read Fridays in The Spokesman-Review. To submit a question, email DearKiantha@gmail.com.