I’m mad. And I’m heartbroken. And I don’t know what to do. But I felt compelled to say something.

It makes me furious at some of the people I see on my timeline critiquing what is happening in the US

“They should protest peacefully” says the same people who drove Colin Kaepernick out of the NFL. Who said “sports is no place for politics” when Lebron wore a hoodie. When Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a fist at the olympics 52 years ago. 52 years ago.

Peaceful protests have been tried time and again. But in the meantime police forces have militarized and black men and women have been killed in America.

This is not just a foreign problem. Not some reality across the border we don’t face here. We owe it to our own humanity to build a better future where the colour of your skin doesn’t mean you expect to be harassed, jailed, or murdered.

I don’t know what this is like, I’m fortunate. I was born into a world where as a middle class, straight, white dude with a university degree the light of my future isn’t clouded by a system that is built to not help me succeed.

If these protests were happening in the Middle East, or in Africa, or like they are in Hong Kong we would be without question supporting their push for the same kind of freedom that we get to wake up every day and enjoy.

But when it’s at home we pretend it’s different. Like it’s more nuanced.

That’s bullshit.

Freedom from oppression, freedom to achieve your potential. That ought to be universal. Frankly, it’s more than the protesters are even asking for. They are just asking to not be killed.

Just because he or she or they don’t look like you, or dress like you, or live in your neighbourhood doesn’t change anything. State sanctioned violence should make you mad as hell.

I’m driven even more infuriated by the hypocrasy in all of this.

America didn’t have a peaceful protest for Indepence, they had a war.

A war against what they saw then as an oppressive state.

A war against the unilateral power of the government to quell dissidence. And exert control.

Taking to the streets is not new. It’s an American tradition. The Boston tea party, the war for independence, the civil war. The star spangled banner isn’t about a peaceful walk with a parade permit, it’s about a battle.

So for the same people that fly “don’t tread on me flags” to question the actions of the protestors can only be explained as actual racism.

I hate that there are violent clashes happening across the US. It’s heartbreaking.

I hate more that the level of pain and frustration has grown to such a point that people saw no other outlet.

I wish 58 years ago when two black fists were raised at the Mexico olympics we listened, instead of ignored. When Kaep knelt during the anthem that we listened instead of ignored.

That when nearly 60 years ago MLK said “I have a dream” that we listened.

With people taking to the streets this week, are we prepared to listen this time? Or do we want to see what happens if we keep ignoring it?

Our economic reality means things are going to get harder in for everyone.

And I don’t want the pain and suffering of our friends and neighbours to reach this point here at home.

I don’t know what to do, honestly, I just know I don’t want to ignore it.

There is some good out there. We’ve seen more and more police officers and police chiefs condemn the acts of police brutality. This is so important.

The next step is to hold governments and police forces accountable for change. All of us need to do that.

We need things like representative civilian oversight of policing.

We need to fund alternative intervention programs that can ensure the right person with the right training responds to the right calls. It shouldn’t all fall to the police.

We need to ensure our education system is resourced appropriately

And we need to have hard conversations about the nature of our public institutions. Many of them are good but need to become great.

Most of all though, when someone peacefully identifies a problem we need to listen and we need to act. Because we can see what happens when we ignore it

I have to believe that the light of our future is brighter than the darkness of our past. But getting there requires work.