Evolving Justice

A Poem by Jaii

This is a poem for UNIV 200 at Virginia Commonwealth University about how we can dissolve the fear and mistrust of police by changing their training.

If I could just be free
Be free to believe that there is someone out there to help me
To keep me safe
Protect me from harm
To never have to be alarmed
But as I look ahead
I can only see
Me and my own family
I am never calling the police

They kill people like me
Leave us dead on the street
In the dead of summer heat
No words we could speak

Screaming "here come 12"
As we cross the streets
No trust, no love, no peace to keep

If only I could walk away
Without the fear of not making it another day
Because 12 bullet laced my spine
From a cop that was standing behind

I wish that we could just trust a cop
And not fear that our hearts will stop
Give them credit where credit is due
Give respect when they give respect too

Then there was a thought that popped in my head
Can't we change their training instead?
No need for fewer
No need for blood shed
Give them community training to get hem ahead
Let them work on their minds to keep them afloat
Give them incentive to never go back to the old

We need a new system
We need a big change
We don't need our mind sets to stay the same
We don't need to fear
We don't need mistrust
We need someone who will help us

I'm tired of feeling the way that I do
So I'll stand up for what I believe is true
No need for more violence
No need for more guns
Just need people to stand up, not run
We all have our faith
And our minds put together
We can change the system for the better.