When a man puts his hands up in the air, he is not fabricating a gun from the sky or threatening you in any way. #terencecrutcher
When a man is lying down on the ground with his hands in the air and trying to explain that the autistic patient he is with is not violent and only has a toy truck, that man is not trying to create a diversion so that the patient can turn his toy truck into a weapon and neither one of those men are threatening you in any way. #charleskinsey
When a man volunteers the information that he has a registered gun and a license to carry it and you ask to see the license and the man reaches for his license, he is not reaching for a gun or threatening you in any way. #philandocastile
These are the very simplest things anyone can do to ensure that they mean no harm.
When you assume someone is dangerous based on what they look like and not the given circumstance, you are dehumanizing them. You have decided who that person is and given them the responsibility of convincing you otherwise. That's the very opposite of innocent until proven guilty.
And if you're still having a hard time seeing the issue clearly, try putting yourself into the shoes of a family member of any of these three men. How would you feel if Terence, Charles or Philando was your father, son, brother, cousin, nephew or best friend?
#blacklivesmatter
When a man is lying down on the ground with his hands in the air and trying to explain that the autistic patient he is with is not violent and only has a toy truck, that man is not trying to create a diversion so that the patient can turn his toy truck into a weapon and neither one of those men are threatening you in any way. #charleskinsey
When a man volunteers the information that he has a registered gun and a license to carry it and you ask to see the license and the man reaches for his license, he is not reaching for a gun or threatening you in any way. #philandocastile
These are the very simplest things anyone can do to ensure that they mean no harm.
When you assume someone is dangerous based on what they look like and not the given circumstance, you are dehumanizing them. You have decided who that person is and given them the responsibility of convincing you otherwise. That's the very opposite of innocent until proven guilty.
And if you're still having a hard time seeing the issue clearly, try putting yourself into the shoes of a family member of any of these three men. How would you feel if Terence, Charles or Philando was your father, son, brother, cousin, nephew or best friend?
#blacklivesmatter