The sound of car door locks activating.
A black man crosses the street at a city intersection.
There are experiences I’ve never had and find hard to understand.
Like being stopped and searched on your way home in your own middle class neighborhood.
Like having a neighbor woman call the police because she saw a black man in the neighborhood. Oh, he lives here?
Like being in fear for your life during a traffic stop. (Another white policeman acquitted last week for killing a black man running away from him with the excuse that he felt threatened.)
Many live in a state of fear and judgement that infuse their experience of a situation.
Like the woman in Justice Sotomayor’s story from yesterday, false assumptions corrupt our mind.
Yes, it pays to be observant in public. But constant fear is debilitating for both people.
Faith Venture 
Leave a Reply