There is a double standard in America — and it’s deadly. Never has it been more painfully real than in the last few weeks. I’m trying to find the words to make it easily understood. There are none. It’s not fair. It’s not right. It breaks me that this is the world we live in.

How can we so casually flip from scenes of heavily armed white protesters storming the state capital in Michigan, demanding the state’s ‘liberation’ despite a global pandemic, and under guard of uniformed officers dispatched to ‘keep the peace’ — to two weeks later, a live video of a Black man, this time George Floyd – clearly restrained effectively and not a physical threat – literally taking his last breaths and begging for mercy as a White police officer kneels on his neck?

Honestly, is there any greater juxtaposition one can imagine?

I don’t mean this as a criticism of police. Forgive me if it comes off that way. I work with outstanding officers each and every day in my career as a 911 dispatcher. I will be the first to admit they have one of the hardest jobs known to man. It’s a dirty job. It’s thankless. It’s dangerous. It demands sacrifice on many levels. I don’t want that job, and I’m grateful every day for the brave men and women who serve to make us safer. Ninety nine percent of police officers are fantastic, but that does not absolve us from challenging a system that allows 1% to operate on – and get away with – systemic racism.

The time has come and we MUST pivot out of an either/or way of thinking.

I can stand with the police, yet still be absolutely broken by the trend I am witnessing play out before my eyes — and trust me, I am broken. I can work every day to protect the safety of my officers and also be critical of the system when it continues to fail so many. We can ALL feel ALL OF THIS. And we have to.

Whatever it takes, it IS time. The killing has to stop. There is no longer any excuse.