Letter to the editor: Ensuring police protect, serve equally

The letter “Murrysville police devoted, professional” (June 18, TribLIVE) illustrated a common but dangerous misconception of the Black Lives Matter protests. To say that it is “unfortunate” when people of any color die as a consequence of police action (and to emphasize that unlawful activities sometimes precipitate these incidents) not only underplays the problem but misses the intention of these protests.

Law enforcement officers are three times as likely to kill Black people than white people. The protests are not about individual police departments, but about the disproportionate use of deadly force against black people. To focus on other factors implies that one values the status quo more than one values the lives of fellow citizens.

Imagine you are Black and your home is being broken into. Before you call the police, do you consider the likelihood that they could mistake you for the criminal and treat you accordingly? Does it cause you to hesitate before calling 911? Most people will admit that the answer is yes, and that these thoughts would never cross their minds as a white person.

It is becoming increasingly clear that change is necessary and overdue. We must begin the difficult work of finally ensuring our police departments protect and serve everyone equally. It is also time for white people to acknowledge the problem and become allies of the Black community.

The excellence of the Murrysville Police Department notwithstanding, this is a national problem and requires a national conversation. We cannot shut our eyes and ears to it and still call ourselves responsible American citizens.

Marye Phillips

Murrysville