Before You Shoot (I Am Unarmed) T-Shirt

The message on this shirt reads: Before you shoot know that I am somebody's child. I am somebody's friend. I am somebody. Now put down the gun. I am unarmed. There is a culture of violence in which human lives are being devalued. Some sectors seem to glorify this violence, making money at the expense of young lives; promoting violent demeanor; making people feel disempowered so that they begin to accept daily violence as inevitable and unchangeable. There is a culture of fear in which certain human beings see others as less-than-human. They see lives in poverty surrounded by violence and assume that these people do not care about themselves, want the violence, and are up to no good. They feel that they are saving themselves and the general public from animals. With this mindset, how can they ever give these people the benefit of the doubt? The situation is not hopeless. Most people want the same things out of life: freedom, safety, respect, to be understood, love, good health, and a fair opportunity to succeed. Have frank discussions. Recognize true bias, bigotry, and oppression. Acknowledge its existence. Dismiss the stupid stuff that gets in the way and puts different looking people into different corners. Work to bring people together. Work together for fairness.