Nowadays it seems like every other day an innocent life is taken at the hands of our nations police officers. Officers who we expect to protect us, and not harm us. A major organization, Black Lives Matter (BLM) has become very prominent because of all of these fatalities. They have been working hard to be sure that the African American community is heard, they get the justice that they deserve and that people will know that Black Lives Matter too. These fatal incidents are occurring all over the United States from Montgomery, Alabama, to Saint Paul, Minnesota, a person never expects it to happen to a person that is so close to home.
Many people remember the case of Alton Sterling. A man who was shot several times within close range while selling CDs outside of a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Multiple people recorded this tragic incident and it went viral across the nation. It sparked a number of protests in Louisiana and a civil rights investigation had been requested by the U.S. Department of Justice. However, it has just been decided on March 27, 2018, that there will be no charges filed against the two officers in Alton Sterling’s death.
For many people, this is quite upsetting. When will we get justice for these innocent lives that are constantly being taken with no repercussions? To others, this decision is not surprising. This has happened over and over again, from Trayvon Martin to Philando Castile. No matter what, it is quite frustrating to hear this type of news, especially for the black community. This makes people fear their lives every day because of the color of their skin. When being pulled over by the police they are not sure if they will receive a speeding ticket or multiple bullets to the chest. But as a community, they know that they can not let this defeat them. They need to keep pushing forward to excel.
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