maarnayeri:

There are really fewer things that sadden me more than black women who lose their children to police brutality and release statements about how their son or daughter had academic or career goals they wanted to complete.

Its almost innate to every comment released by the slain’s family, as if they know they have list qualities (that are wholly irrelevant and arbitrary in that particular context) to prove their child deserved life to garner support. As if empathy for murdered black people comes with a list of prerequisites about how they could’ve contributed to society in a capitalistic sense and not that they’re entitled to live without the perpetual danger of being gunned down for the crime of existing while undesired.

Its such an unfortunately dehumanizing and profoundly violent society we live in that victims become the topic of speculation and if they aren’t able to measure up to arbitrary standards, they don’t matter.