Have you ever known anyone that’s been shot by Police enforcement or even seen the excessive force too often done to innocent people? This sense of power that has indefinitely been given to the White man since the early days due to colonialization and practiced through Imperialism into the 21^st century. The same power to conquer and oppress countless races and countries as well as destroying rich histories. Nobody takes that into account.

The shooting of Michael brown and most recently Vonderrit Deondre Meyers have triggered a protest amongst the people Vs. Missouri and The Police Department as they have the right to do. You see here marks a historical moment because The People which the majority is people of color who are fighting back against the injustice of the world and more specifically in Ferguson where the idea of race and doing race is all too often seen.

A lot of people think “We’re over race.” As a Hispanic and seeing friends of color live in a place like Cheney/Spokane area you do see the difference of how race still makes a difference. We are not over race, we are barely beginning to open up to talk about this problem.

I’m outraged at the fact that this was sent in to the Easterner and was pre reviewed by the editors and was still approved and sent out to print. What does this say about our Press at Eastern Washington University? Is the racial-blind views of art director Tanner Streicher the same as most Whites here? The only argument was taking the capitalist stance to White America’s rescue. This mainly entails that the White man’s lives and MONEY is more important than 2 Black male’s lives. Is this the ideology that institutionalized racism has taught people? There have been countless murders against Black men again and again. More so the question is how can we, as citizens support the People and for a start begin to seriously take into account the injustices done to people of color.

Perhaps this is a start to a long needed revolution to finally confront the idea of race and the institutionalized racism that this country has held on to so tightly to in order to keep Whites separated and continue to give Whites more privileges/opportunities in health care, schools, jobs and respect overall in the U.S.

Streicher continues to say in his opinion piece, “In reality they (African Americans) are treated the same – or even better in most cases- as White Americans. In the past 20 years African American Have been treated very well in the United States” My question for him is how is being shot by law enforcement with no signs of them having a gun being treated well? Or more so the missed opportunities because the color of the skin is not white.

This opinion piece only magnifies the real divide in the United States of those who feel negatively towards protests against the unjust Missouri Police Department, those who are protesting and those that are just complacent.

The real problem is here in the United States. Too many young lives have already been taken and in the sake of justice but in reality because of power and hate, this privilege that has been given to Whites to oppress and regulate people of color.

This has got to come to an end by shedding light on racial issues and creating a change in our schools, justice system, and health care. Open your eyes people!

It’s time for a change in our America.