So, this is America.

After more outraged citizens than ever are protesting racism and police brutality in the streets, in their communities, and from their homes, a white/male police officer in Wisconsin shot a young/black/male citizen seven times in front of his kids and in broad daylight for doing nothing that would even warrant the use of deadly force. I say that desensitized too. Because really there should never be a rationalized reason why anyone “should” get shot.

Then, you see the exact opposite happen two nights later from the exact same police department in Wisconsin. A seventeen year old white/male citizen garnishing an automatic rifle shooting multiple protesters ends up walking by two militarized police vehicles and a police squad car while still holding his weapon, and after they just witnessed him using it with deadly force.

Just walks by.

They didn’t shoot him. They didn’t detain him. They just let him walk right by pretending like they were focused on something else.

There was also another video of that same armed kid (prior to the shooting) with his group (claimed to be white nationalists) being given waters from police officers in militarized police vehicles as those armed citizens are thanked for their support. Was that video dubbed over? Possibly, but it doesn’t sound like it…and, regardless, letting them hold their weapons in a group like that is absurd. Allowing hate groups to display and act on their hate is illegal and immoral.

This contrast (even though I have already been heavily activated towards pushing for humanity) has brought me to a very clear and now easily seen understanding that not only are police unfairly, unjustly, and cruelly treating people of color and those in poorer communities throughout America…but, they are also allowing white, privileged, or rich individuals and groups to commit violent and major crimes with little to no consequences.

This cruelty is not my idea of America. Holding people accountable (without violence) for the ideals of humanity in every community is my idea of America. Police should be protecting, supporting, and being a strong voice for every community.

I am scared.

Those in power…those with millions or billions of dollars to their name…

…they are allowing this to happen.

I will not just cry here alone. I will stand and push incredibly hard my entire life for safe, fairly resourced, and inclusive communities. I will push for humanity. No matter how scared of power and greed I am. I will push for a more loving and egalitarian America.

My biggest way that I can think of right now is by becoming a therapist. I will then use that platform for wherever I am needed in this change.

I know this blog is typically a platform for my mental health journey so that I can help others who may be on the same journey. But, truthfully, the content in this post right here is a big piece of my mental health journey.

When the world is all about me, then I have more issues with my mental health, and the world doesn’t have a contributing member of the community (just someone who feeds off of whatever privilege or comfort I can hold). When I finally see and act like the world is bigger than just me and it becomes about all of us, then my mental health is more attuned to reality and I become a contributing member to the community where I push to make the context better for all of us.

My mental health is not only impacted from the nature inside of me…but, it also is impacted from my surrounding environment. Standing up and pushing for love, justice, and sustaining the environment does good for my community, those around me, and…yup…my own mental health.