I Can’t Breathe

I sincerely wish I hadn’t watched the video. It was in many ways, as a domestic violence survivor, familiar to me. I am absolutely disgusted by those of you criticizing the response.
You have no idea the panic, fuck, honestly, I can’t even put it into words what you feel when you can’t breathe, when another human being is on top of you and you can’t breathe, when you screamed for help that didn’t come. Thankfully I passed out in the worst incident. He thought I was dead. That was enough for him.
10 yrs later and I can’t wear anything around my neck. 10 years later and any hint of breathing issues sends me into a panic. 10 yrs later and I still have nightmares.
You don’t get to tell people how to respond to this. You just don’t. Not now. Not ever.

White Privilege

My name is Jessica Freeman
I am a white woman.
I can do, say, and be all of the following things without fear.

I will not be killed:

I can go jogging (#AmaudArbery).
I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson).
I can ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).
I can have a cellphone (#StephonClark).
I can leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).
I can play loud music (#JordanDavis).
I can sell CD's (#AltonSterling).
I can sleep (#AiyanaJones)
I can walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).
I can play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).
I can go to church (#Charleston9).
I can walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).
I can be questioned by police (#GeorgeFloyd)
I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (#SeanBell).
I can party on New Years (#OscarGrant).
I can get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).
 I can lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).
I can break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).
I can shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .
I can have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).
I can read a book in my own car (#KeithScott).
I can be a 10yr old walking with my grandfather (#CliffordGlover).
I can decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).
I can ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).
I can and do have mental illness (#AnthonyHill), (#DeborahDanner), and (#OsazeOsagie).
I can cash a check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).
I can take out my wallet (#AmadouDiallo).
I can run (#WalterScott).
I can breathe (#EricGarner).
I can live (#FreddieGray).

I recognize my white privilege. Do you?

This is THE reality.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

#BlackLivesMatter
#whitesilenceisviolence

Credit to my friend Austin Hicks for this. I just added my own name.

Your Silence is Violence

No posts regarding the murder of George Floyd + posts sharing videos of people’s response = PART OF THE PROBLEM.

A Riot is the language of the unheard. - MLK Jr.

I love and respect many of you dearly so I’m going to explain a little. What you say, and when, matters. I’ve watched you advocate for causes that matter to you so I know you understand.

When we as white persons don’t raise our voices, especially publicly, for those in the black community who continue to be murdered, it is putting a stamp of approval on it, whether we intend to or not. Silence is absolutely violence.

When we then don’t have time, don’t want to, or whatever the reason post about another black person being murdered by police, when we are silent about a man having his neck kneeled on for over 9 minutes while one officer watched and 3 others held the rest of his body, but do find the time to post about people’s response to it, it is violence. I know it’s not the intent, but it is. Just asking you to please think about that.