A Letter to All the Editors: Justice for Breonna Taylor

Dear Editor,

I write seeking justice for Breonna Taylor. 

Have your heard of her? Has your compassionate heart been wrenched to despair and rage in hearing her story yet? Have you been moved to action yet? If not, I implore you to consider her story now:

Breonna Taylor was a black woman in her 20's living her life in Louisville, Kentucky. Apparently, on the night of March 13, 2020, three police officers fired more than 20 shots into her apartment while she slept. As the story goes, eight of the bullets hit Breonna and she later died. Some sources cite that she/her apartment were thought to be somehow / slightly / perhaps / maybe / (certainly indefensibly) affiliated with a "drug house" 10 miles away. The police officers who killed her had apparently entered her apartment with a battering ram and had used a "no-knock warrant" to enter, meaning they were not required to announce themselves. Breonna's sleeping boyfriend allegedly leaped to his firearm, firing it once, first, upon the alarming entry of the officers after which time the police returned fire in the storm of bullets that took Breonna's life. 

Making the situation further grotesque, news released today asserts that Breonna was left bleeding to death for at least twenty minutes without medical aide after being shot by officials. She died. Her boyfriend was taken away, immediately arrested but later released. No charges or justice have been brought to bear against her killers, named Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove.

Note that in my description above, I did not mention that Breonna was an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), an admirable career focused on helping others in their time of need. I didn't mention this because I think almost anyone with almost any job should be allowed to sleep without being ruthlessly murdered. (***I reserve a personal position that outlier vigilante justice may occasionally be needed to serve rapists, child molesters, pedophiles, and sex traffickers--- however, even in those situations I prefer due process of law and that evidence confirm guilt). 

Note that in my description of Breonna's story above I did not say whether her boyfriend owned his firearm legally per the Second Amendment. I didn't mention this because I think anyone should be able to defend their family from ruthless murderers entering their home, with whatever weapon happens to be closest, regardless of whether it was lawfully obtained. In other words, I would hope my husband would do the same for me and my daughter by whatever means necessary if we were attacked by intruders while sleeping at home.

Note that I did mention how many shots were fired by the intruders. I mentioned this because it does not seem logical or defensible to me that more than 1-2 bullets, (and preferably, no bullets) would have been necessary for "return fire" by the cops in this context. The situation reads to me as a blasphemous display of toxic masculinity and white power, by police officers who showed unabashed recklessness and who had sickeningly little regard for human life. The officers had numerous other options to prevent Breonna's death: 1) visit the home, knocking and announcing themselves, showing their warrant, during the light of day and speaking or questioning calmly; 2) after being fired on, they could have retreated; 3) they could have left minor affiliates out of the situation altogether (which at best and not convincingly, Breonna and her boyfriend seem to be) ; 4) they could have used their time and resources on this planet to stop the war on drugs altogether; 5) they could have refused to participate in the mistreatment, discrimination, and criminalization of the black community altogether; 6) they could have sought a different career altogether, particularly given the evidence that they were inexcusably reactive and blood-thirsty, not at all suitable qualities for those in positions of power; 7) they could have entered the situation with a plan predicated on refusal to use firearms and refusal to commit murder and preserve life as the utmost priority. 

Note that I did mention a battering ram was used. I mentioned this because a battering ram used on my front door in the middle of the night would scare the sh*+ out of me, and likely would rightfully alarm any rational person into a state of defensive "fight or flight" survival instinct, which should have been quite obviously expected by the police. They therefore should have planned, trained, prepared and implemented a non-violent approach (if any approach at all could even be merited here). 

Note that I did mention that in the description of this heinous murder, the only person arrested was the person who had just been terrorized, a black man who was ambushed in the comfort of his home and had just witnessed his partner's life taken before his very eyes. This is trauma to the n^th degree and disgraceful, showing complete lack of respect, compassion, and integrity by the officers.

Note that I did mention Breonna was left bleeding to death without aid for a remarkable amount of time. This is the stuff of nightmares, of ruthlessness, of evil. I would not wish this fate on anyone, not even my worst enemies, not even with the depth of hatred and rage I feel toward the very officers involved. I believe that every soul deserves the dignity and peace to die with loving kindness surrounding them, no matter their past transgressions. Yes, even for the worst offenders among us. Even the aforementioned rapists, sex traffickers, and pedophiles. I would hope that at least their mothers would be the afforded the opportunity to witness their departure to the next life with care and love if they so desired.

In short, I am horrified by how the events ending Breonna's life transpired. I think our local, state, national, and international community should be outraged and moved to momentous action immediately. I applaud the work of Tamika Mallory and the work of the organization Until Freedom, which has been putting life and limb on the line to draw attention to Breonna Taylor. The officers involved should not be allowed to go free. They should not be allowed to wield this horror over anyone, and certainly, clearly, not in sanctioned uniform. They should be removed from the police force, charged with murder, and forced to undergo due process of law and justice. Specifically, I'm calling for them to face some version of restorative justice, including but not limited to: reckoning with Breonna's loved ones and those fighting for her by appeasing their demands, payment of money to her family or other community entities as determined by her family, apologies and other amends, community service, speaking and writing to the youth to repent and reconcile their past transgressions, therapy to engage with and reckon with their murderous behavior, and numerous other methods of support and accountability of which I am not an expert but which much greater minds than mine could certainly imagine. 

The events that have transpired for Breonna Taylor are the kind that make people rise up, put their lives on the line, speak out, get angry, and fight. Breonna, and all souls, and in particular, black women, they deserve so, so, so, SOOOOOOO much more than this despicable and contemptible case study of white supremacy, patriarchy, discrimination, and racism. Breonna's case is a microcosm for everything wrong with the history of America. And it must be dismantled and stopped as immediately and urgently as possible. 

I implore everyone, everywhere to care more about this. To fight harder for justice. To take action. To speak out. To write letters. To lobby anyone who will listen, and to lobby especially those in power in this situation. 

Specific action folks could use to get justice for Breonna include: writing or speaking publicly about Breonna and this injustice, participating in protests and vigils in her honor, lobbying the Governor of Kentucky, the Mayor of Louisville, and the District Attorney via social media, phone calls, letters, emails, and in person, donating money to her family and those surviving her, posting to social media and keeping her story active, talking with friends and neighbors about Breonna's story, and educating themselves and others about racial injustice in America, among many other methods I probably haven't yet thought of. I have done all of the above to one degree or another, and yet, it still isn't enough. We need a greater scope of magnitude in this fight, pushing together, from the grassroots. 

Please, I plead with all persons reading this, in the words of the great Gary Chambers Jr: keep pushing, seek justice and do good. 

Now: GO. HARDER. FOR. BREONNA.

In solidarity,

Katie Koscielak

Eureka, CA