Dear Huntsville Police Department:

Perhaps during the next protest, rather than climbing into a sniper’s nest, rather than surrounding a stupid outdated statue on a southern square, rather than avoiding the people to protect brick and mortar, rather than gassing and shooting peaceful protesters for hoping for a sense of humanity from you, perhaps, just perhaps, you could take off your body armor, and just talk to the people?

Maybe?

Believe it or not, that really is all the people are looking for from you.

Just some sense that you’re not our enemy. And that you see us as humans.

And not as targets.