So what if you could be chased down and killed just because you didn’t look like everyone else? Well that is exactly what happened to Jean Charles de Menezes. He was using the tube in London, was chased down by plain cloths cops, held down and shot five times in the back. What is the reason for this brutality? Was he about to kill someone, no. Was he about to blow something up, no. Was he doing anything wrong at all, no. He was tackled, held down and executed like a dog, because he “looked like a terrorist”. Honestly I expected better from the British. My stomach drops and I feel sick when I read about this.

This man was murdered, slaughtered, held down and THEN shot FIVE times in the back because he didn’t look right. What kind of fucked up world do we live in. I hope I never look different enough to warrant that behavior. Hey you with the funny cloths, hey you with the odd coat, are you sweating, do you look nervous. You could be dead right now. Ever been late and started running to catch the bus, you could be dead right now. Ever had a bad day and wanted to sit alone in the corner of the bus, you could be dead right now. Have you ever let your walkman headphone wires hang out of your pocket, you could be dead right now. Ever forget your bag some place, you could be dead right now.

This could happen to any of us. What have we let our leaders do to us? After 9/11 everyone thought we needed people with guns on every plane, we need armed guards at every bus stop. We are willing participants in our own imprisonment. Do we really want this to keep happening? Is this really better than terrorism? I don’t think it is. The British people, and for that matter the people of the world, should be outraged about this.

Jean Charles de Menezes just wanted to go to work, now he is dead because he fit some profile, or acted differently than what people thought he should. He is dead now because people are letting fear rule them. He is dead now, because we have let our leaders use paranoia as an excuse to take away all of our freedoms. I for one hope this situation sparks change, because I enjoy being an individual and frankly don’t wish to end up dead because someone thinks I look the wrong way.