We are not here to be your minister
Instead, we convert you into that which is sinister
A monster, a demon, a menace
For causing your death, we will not do penance
We convert your humanity into what, not who, we see
In our conversion, we see no basis for equality
Your humanity, we have been taught not to see
3/5ths of a human is the origin of your pedigree
It was written in the U.S. Constitution
The 13th Amendment was a compromise solution
Prisons have not stopped using the labor of slaves
And for police killings, charges are waived
The law upheld the casual killing of a slave
No remorse. It was not viewed as depraved
What’s the difference between a slave and you?
Casual killing still holds true
You casually kill each other too
This is what centuries of self-hate can do
Your casual killing, your self-hate
The system can easily accommodate
Arrests, charges, trials, prison, probation, and parole
For you, the system has a clear goal
The system accommodates us as well
We have a different story to tell
The system is just for us
This is why you continue to fuss
We need not march, protest, or make demands
For us, the system works just as planned
Grand jurors ensure we are not publicly tried
Your death, by our hands will be justified
We kill with impunity and with government immunity
Your acts of surrender, we do not remember
Hands in the air, we do not care
A boy, a teenager, a mother, a father
Protecting your life, we need not bother
In you, we see a danger, a suspect, a weapon
We see melanin in your complexion
This is how we profile you
Men, women, and children too
It is not possible to serve or to protect
People who we profile and do not respect
We can beat or kill Black women without hesitation
Knowing the outcry will not span the nation
In 2 seconds, we can shoot your boy dead on a play ground
And, we expect the system to protect us as we move around
We can end your teenager’s life and leave his body in the street
A 4 ½ – hour warning in mid-day summer heat
For you, this is how we meet and greet
Our power and control is not meant to be discreet
We represent the system. We embody the law.
You are not to question what we say or do
Do not speak unless spoken to
You must obey
Yes Sir, yes Ma’am are the words to say
The words “I can’t breathe” are not on our list
These words sound like you’re starting to resist
To resist our chokehold is much too bold
It means you are attempting to live
Your attempt to live, we cannot forgive
In a system born of racism and persistent hate
Your words, your breathing carry very little weight
Breathing is not our priority for you
Our prior conduct has shown this is true
If you say “I can’t breathe” multiple times
Each time increases your resistance in our minds
How can you desire to breathe and to be free?
The desire for freedom is a human condition
For you to want it, raises our suspicion
We see your breathing insistence as an act of resistance.
We define resistance exclusively
It does not matter what others see
The people who videotape, watch, or hear
These witnesses do cause us to fear
To fear your humanity might be accepted
To fear your desire to live might be respected
Yet, witnesses do not temper our behavior
We know the system will rule in our favor
So, of course, we can use more force
We decide when to escalate the situation
Regardless of witness observations
It is our judgment to make
If you die, we made a casual mistake
We do not need a pretense
In-the-line-of-duty is our defense
The system serves and protects us without reservation
It is what we deserve. It is our expectation
This system was not designed with you in mind
Except to control, contain, or confine
Of course, liberty and justice for all is America’s ideal
But, for you, this was not meant to be real
Thus, your death, by our hands is not really a crime
The prosecutor will make sure, at just the right time
In the meantime, we do share a common thread
If we interact, you could end up dead.