Joe Silva Writes

“Step Inside”

Today, like any other day, after a good night’s sleep, I woke up on my comfy bed. I brewed my morning coffee, turned on the news and found out that another teenager had been shot dead.

Are we under attack? Wait! He was not black. He was Latino. Perhaps he was a gang member, part of a tagging crew or the honor roll student of someone you know. “My son is a good kid”, is a phrase I often hear. The sad thing is, when asked, “Where is your son?”, the answer is, “I don’t know. I left him right here.”

Yes. Another police shooting. Not on the Southside, the Northside, or the Westside. No. This one hits home. Sadly, the teenager was not working alone. He was shot on the Eastside. Does this even matter? Does it bring you pain? Does this make your blood boil or fill your heart with disdain? Is your anger so strong that it makes you cry? If so, I invite you to step inside and set your anger aside. You think you can’t? Go ahead. Give it a try.

Step inside. Yes. Step inside the lives of those, who, to get to work, often cross several city lines. Those who, day in and day out, to protect and serve, put their lives on the line. Whether you see it or not, they protect your life and mine. They save lives, and like every human being, they have feelings. They make mistakes, which often, in them, produces a deep desire to cry.

As they head out to work, they give out sweet goodbye kisses. Some kiss their husbands. Others kiss their wives. Some don’t have children, while others have too many to name. Some are not married but their reality is the same. Unlike you and I, in their line of work, in a split second, they know they can die. Do they leave for work with murder in mind? I know some might think so, but that thought, in my mind, is not predefined. Like you and I, they have a family who will miss them dearly if they are left behind.

Many may think they don’t work very hard. They may even say, “They just eat donuts and ride”. What we don’t see and often goes unannounced, are all the sacrifices they make to keep us safe and to protect our community with the utmost pride. What would our community be like without these brave men? Have you given this thought? Who would protect your belongings? You know, all those things that you bought. Would my home continue to be my safe haven? Would my daughter be raped by the neighborhood dogs who call themselves men?

Step inside. Perhaps only then, you will clear your mind and allow your anger to subside. Are there bad policemen? Of course there are! But their evil intentions will not get them very far. To ascend in rank or to avoid paperwork, they will look for shortcuts. More often than not, instead of working, they will choose to engage in useless chatter. The true, dedicated and brave policemen, to save a life, will always climb the tallest ladder. For they understand that all lives matter.

Their training is brutal. To get through the program and to help ease the pain, some choose to see it as a mental game. For reasons unknown, some choose to quit. Perhaps in their mind, this mental game is nothing but bullshit. One thing is certain, those who continued, our respect they deserve for they earned the privilege to protect and serve.

It’s easy to say, “Why did they shoot him? He was running away!” What we don’t mention is that gun shots were heading their way. We all understand that policemen are trained. What we apparently refuse to see is their rarely used skill. To stop an imminent threat, part of their training is to shoot to kill.

Step inside. Yes. Step inside your local police station. Together we can build year round youth programs, grow united as a people and continue to better ourselves and our communities while we enjoy the pleasures and freedoms of this great nation.