My blog has been dormant for the past two years. There have been several occasions including two major life events, my daughter’s birth and my dad’s death, that prompted me to revive it, even if with a short post. However, it didn’t happen. Today, I am shaken though by the selective killing of the two black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police officers and am feeling an unstoppable urge to post.
Last year, I read the book, To Kill A Mockingbird ( it was not a part of my school curriculum back in India) and was surprised by the shocking similarity of the conviction and killing of a black man in the book, to what is happening today. It felt like I was reading a news report. Centuries have turned and things haven’t changed. Something needs to be done now. This shouldn’t be acceptable to anyone in the land of the free.
America is such a great country that has been more welcoming to immigrants than any other in the world. I can say it from first-hand experience of being an immigrant here and having travelled widely. Whenever, I am outside the country, even just across the border, I immediately miss the friendly smiles and the casual greetings - the ‘Hi, How are you?’, the ‘Your dog is so cute, can I pat him?’, the ‘Aww, your baby is so pretty?’. I haven’t felt as safe either, in my own country as here. This friendliness and courtesy shouldn’t be allowed to be tarnished by miscreant cops. Things need to change. Everyone needs to speak up and do what they can to stop this!!!
