There are things we can do so people feel safe out there
Stay safe.
Be careful.
I’ve been thinking about those phrases a lot since receiving Facebook messages from friends, relatives and others who watched me cover the protests — peaceful and not — last weekend in downtown Dayton. These protests were organized after George Floyd, a black man, died while in the custody of Minneapolis police offers, now facing charges in his death.
“I’m glad you are safe. Hugs,” one friend commented on one of my posts.
“Love you,” my aunt Cathy in Cleveland wrote on that same post. “Be safe out there.”
Safety is a wish and particularly an interesting one in the context of police relations with the black community.
I respect police officers. Let’s get that out of the way.
I value what they do and honestly believe the vast majority of them strive to protect and serve everyone.
I want them to be safe. It is those other ones that leave many black people with that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of their guts.
I’ve felt it many times in my private and professional life.
Is he one of the other ones?
Am I not safe?
Not feeling safe around police officers, no matter how law-abiding or careful you are, is expressly why many people I saw at the protest said they were there.
I’ve told many people to be careful since the coronavirus pandemic ramped up in this country.
The world has felt very out of control.
My prayer of safety is all I could offer others. Be careful.
Stay safe.
There is no cure, but there are things we can do to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
We can social distance. We can wear masks. We can stay at home. There are also things we can do to make this world a little safer for everyone, members of our law-enforcement community included.
As part of my new role as the Dayton Daily News’ community impact editor, I will moderate a community discussion on how relations between the black community and police in our community can be improved. The discussion will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday on the Dayton Daily News’ Facebook page.
Panelists will include activists, an academic, a clergyman, a Dayton city commissioner and members of the Dayton area’s law-enforcement community.
Stay safe.
Be careful.