Thread by @vincentdonofrio

1) To my old friends on the Force:
Listen please;
Police shoving a senior citizen to the ground for doing nothing while he was in a peaceful protest about police killing a handcuffed black man who was not resisting arrest.

2) This African American surrounded by three other officers who could hear this black man, our brother, your brother plead for his life.
And they do nothing, these peace makers, these who serve the people.

3) To all of you good Men and Women of the police force from all across our country whom so many I have met and spent time with.

4) Whom I've supported.
Some of you know the many hours I spent with broken and fallen officers families, with wounded officers from many cities. I held vigils with you all.

5) I've always kept it to myself, never exploited the hundreds of moments I had with families thier grief and sorrow. I wanted it to mean more to the families,their partners and to your
Precincts and Station houses.

6) These wonderful families who only wanted to just have someone to talk to about their son, their daughter, their father, their sister, their brother, just to have someone who would listen.

7) I was their calling the names of their loved ones out directly Into the eyes of thier families.
No cameras present. I did it for you, for them. I deeply cared for those families.
I feel the same now, today for the Black and Browm Americans who are dying in the streets.

8) I didn’t do it because you were cops I did it because I wanted you to know I saw you as people. I saw you suffering with the loss of a loved one, in the same way I had suffered with my brothers and sisters.

9) Good Law Enforcers/our heroes whom I always knew existed
I was there..
Where are you now? Where are the faces I became to know?
Where are your superiors?
These good ones, the good Chiefs, Captains, Sargents. I remember you all.

10) Speak to me.
Please I can’t hear you,
I can’t see you.
Please take a knee with me.
Have you forgotten me?
Our words exchanged? Were our words in vain?
You who I thanked for your service.

11) I was with you all.
I showed up year after year.
I stood up for you.
You who humbled me as you shook my hand in gratitude.
WHERE ARE YOU?

12) Now this week more of my brothers and sisters have fallen just like yours. These young and old on the street looking to stop racism once and full all.
And they are right.
And those of you i remember, know it’s true.

13) I was there for you.
You and your families.
Now please take a knee for mine.
One knee for my brothers and my sisters.
One knee for my black, brown and white families.

14) I say to you my law Enforcement friends employed by the city, the State, the federal government.
You good ones who I’ve known to trust. ..

15) OPEN RANKS, My good friends in Law enforcement. You are the good ones and It’s time!
TAKE A KNEE ALL OF YOU, for your families, our families, our black and brown families, We the people of this great nation.
It's time…
Because all these black lives matter.