From Cairo to Dallas

Rania Mankarious is executive director of Crime Stoppers of Houston. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

Honestly, I did not want to come here. I was afraid for the safety of myself and my children. We are Christians, our names indicate that… Not only are we Christians, but we are “westerners”, our clothes indicate that… But when my father told me that he plans on this being one of his last (if not his last) trip to Cairo, Egypt, (the country he and my mom were born in and lived in for the first 30 years of their lives) and that he wanted me and my sister, as well as our kids, to join, I couldn’t say no.
 
Being a minority in a large, bustling city, it not a good feeling. It consumed me quite honestly for the days and weeks leading to this trip. We arrived here July 1, 2016. The unease I felt subsided quickly in seeing the joy in my parents’ faces and for the last week, I have been surrounded by nothing but the kindest of people. I have been lost in the food, the music, the culture, and the chaos of the hustle and bustle. There is something endearing about the exchanges on the street, the process of buying and haggling, and the never-ending invitations for tea and coffee wherever we go.  Even though there could be tremendous disorder, quite honestly, it is peaceful, safe and one of the greatest trips we have taken as a family thus far.
 
In my worry, I never imagined that while we were 7,000 miles away, such a horrific tragedy would take place in Dallas, Texas, 250 miles from my Houston home.
 
As I write this, 5 officers are confirmed dead and 6 more are wounded. The days leading up to this sheer travesty saw two police shootings and the loss of two lives, black lives, which has set the country stirring. The incidents in Louisiana and Minnesota are horrific and are rightfully being investigated. If an officer senselessly and for no reason killed an innocent individual, that officer must be taken off the streets. Period. It doesn’t matter to me if the victim was black, white, gay, straight, or anything otherwise. I trust those cases will be investigated and the officers involved will be either exhonerated or found guilty and dealt with accordingly.
 
That said, I felt compelled to comment on law enforcement and the disaster in Dallas. I firmly believe that a society that turns its back on its first responders can never and will never survive or thrive. This third world country I am currently sitting in has order thanks to the presence of its police officers. My challenge is this: before we go and join the bandwagon against law enforcement, as an entire community, can we take a moment to think what our homes, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, retailers, etc. etc. would look like if our law enforcement community weren’t suiting up each and every day for your safety and mine?
 
Why are we so quick to judge the work of those officers who are underpaid, overworked, and putting their lives on the line for each of us every single day? Are there bad officers? Yes. Is that the majority? Absolutely not.  These men and women have the hardest jobs in the entire world and in the midst, they are persecuted, targeted, questioned and shunned. They give their all for a world that is quick to judge and turn their backs on them and quite frankly, it breaks my heart.
 
As I sit here in Cairo, I realize my fears were completely misplaced. But as I think of an officer waking up in the US today, their fear might be justified. This disheartens me. In response, I want to take a stand in support of our law enforcement community. If I stand alone, it’s okay. I hope you’ll stand with me.