The statement “I Shouldn’t Have to Write This” is very powerful. It’s powerful because it’s true. Justin Smalls writes about his outrage that minorities are being murdered by those who are supposed to be protecting them. He’s tired of reading about the broken system and people trying to blame the victims and speak poorly about their past.

He’s worried about himself and his friends getting home safely. I can relate to this completely. Being a minority, I have to worry about the way I carry myself all the time, to avoid being treated as a stereotype. To worry and have to pray for myself and my friends making it home safely is sad, especially when I’m not doing anything wrong. Then if I say that black lives matter, people get mad and offended, replying, “All lives matter.” But how can we worry about all lives if we can’t stop the hatred in the world for one?

There will never be peace, but we shouldn’t fight our family, brothers, and sisters in this superpower country, where we dream big things and make them bigger. Then again, I shouldn’t have write this.