I wanted to share this. I’m a new police wife. Today hit home hard...
Friends... we need change... this post is not easy.
Today as I drove to NJ to be with my family for my aunts funeral I experienced something that I had been warned about but didn’t believe would actually happen.
I drive proudly with a “back the blue” bumper sticker on the back of my car and a blue line license plate on the front. I’m a proud black woman who loves being an officers wife but I’m new to this club. Well today I was initiated. A car behind me started flashing their lights. I thought they were signaling that they were letting me over, so I switched lanes. They followed, sped up and passed me aggressively. As they passed me they rolled down their window shouting things at me, when they noticed my front plate they reached their hand and head out the window, held their fingers at me like a gun and simulated shooting at my car. My children were with me, oblivious to what was going on but the thought of what this COULD be shook me to the core.
When I met my husband he explained that not everyone views police officers as the good guys and that he wanted to protect me from that.... no social media, low profile, whaaat?!! I didn’t get it but I respected it. He warned me or at least he tried. It didn’t make sense. I’m proud. I love my officer and am so proud to be his wife. I have never had an issue with the law and felt safe and proud being part of the blue family. As proud as I am to be blue I am equally proud to be black. I straddle the line proud to have both feet rooted strongly on each side. If I’m honest today I wasn’t. Today I was the recipient of the the same hatred and discrimination that we are fighting to change. The driver of the other car didn’t care that I was black, or a mother. They didn’t care that I had my children in the car. They didn’t care about where I was going or what I was going through. They didn’t care that I was a lover of all people and that I strive to lift up and unite people of every color. They didn’t know about my beautiful blended colorful family. They looked at the color of the blue line that I proudly supported and hated me for it. Some may say, now you know. But I already did. I got it. I get it. Now I’ve been on both sides. But two wrongs don’t make a right. I have always been on the side of love, acceptance, and equality from the get go because this is what I know.... Hate spreads hate and love spreads love. That’s it! If you want change be the change.
After speaking with my husband and a local NJ officer/friend tonight I’ve been encouraged to protect my family from the hate, but I’m still proud... this is hard... I am so so proud to be BLACK and so so proud to be BLUE!! I will keep spreading love! The world needs to come together like it should to love all people, black, blue, and everything in between.
I will wear blue proudly again 💙🖤
Alexa W.