Dear Police Officers....

When your eyes open and you stretch as you wake to start your day, thank our higher power that you lived another day to breathe that wonderful air.

When you dress, kiss your loved ones good-bye and leave out your door to head to work, hope and pray that you walk back through that door hours later- one last time.

When you walk and drive the streets of your beat, know that every single person, every single face you lock eyes with during those hours, have a mother, father, sister, brother, child, other family and friends that love them.  They are human, as you are, leaving a footprint in the world. They left their homes the same way you did, not thinking, not knowing, if they would return.  

When you walk and drive the streets of your beat, know that we want to approach you if we need help, but some of us may feel a bit apprehensive about doing so. There may have been times one has had a bad interaction with an officer, know someone who has had a bad interaction with an officer or feel you may not be so willing to help.  We will approach gently.  Don't be afraid of us. We don't want to be afraid of you.

Let us not forget about the past events that have occurred.  This is not just about the recent excessive force cases we have seen in the news.  This stems back many years.  Years of oppression. Years of begging the police to treat us as respectable human beings. 

We understand you have your guard up.  We do as well.  We understand you are nervous.  We are as well.  We understand you may want to stand behind and use the badge as an ego trip. We're nervous about that as well.

Know that we are people. We want to be respected.  Wanting to tell our side of the story that you may not have witnessed is normal but our words may not be as kind as you want them to be. You are called into hostile situations where we all think and act differently - yet we want to go home at the end of the night after getting you to listen. 

Don't draw your weapons on us. Use your mace if you feel you are unsafe. Mace is better than your gun.  Don't call your backup to come rushing in to attack us.  Ask us nicely instead of throwing us against the cars or the ground. You can ask nice in a demanding tone and we will give in.  Understand, we know you have the authority to use force but understand that we want you to earn the respect that we have been expected to give you since we were little uneducated human children.  Of course we know you fear for your life - same as us!  Some of you don't realize it because of the privilege you have of having lighter skin and not being judged because of the clothing you choose to wear.  

Protect us from harm, from each other, but don't hurt us. If you do this, there is a good possibility we can all go home at the end of our day - living to see another - to take another breath and not be afraid of each other.  There is also a possibility that as we see your face in our community over and over again, others will learn you respect the citizens, the locals, and you will receive respect due.  

Living in America, we are supposed to be different from other countries. Let's not forget that. Think about that so you can go home again like we want to. 

When you wake up to start your day, start thinking differently. Make a change. Cross over the Blue Line.