A Time To Kill:

Sandra Bland
By: Niesha Goodwin
11-16-2016
1A

#SAYHERNAME

Context
Sandra Bland gave motivational speeches
Sandra Bland failed to use a turn signal
3 days after arrest she was found dead
Suicide or murder?

Context
Description:
Sandra Bland was an African American woman who was arrested by
a white state trooper for failing to use her turn signal and then 3
days later she was unexpectedly found dead in her jail cell

Context Cont.
Summary:
Before any of this occurred Sandra Bland was an inspirational
speaker that talked about finding justice for all the African
Americans getting killed by white police officers and how all
African American have to stick together through these times. After
being pulled over by a white state trooper for failing to put on a
turn signal, Sandra Bland was taken to jail. Three days later she
was found dead in her cell. The police claim she committed
suicide but we all know thats not true. The police are the real
killers in this situation.

Perspective
White state trooper

She was wrong for not using her turn signal

It was his job to take her to jail

Prison Guards

They didnt kill her

They got help for
her even if it was
later

Perspective
Analyzing:

The Key Players:

White state troopers
Prison guards

1. The white state trooper felt like he was doing the right
thing and just fulfilling his duty when he arrested Sandra
Bland and sent her to jail over something small like a
turn signal. Something at stake for him would be
temporarily getting a break from his job because of the
way he arrested Sandra Bland and it was caught on
video.
2. The prison guards felt like they did keep an aye on her
and that it wasnt their fault that she died. After they
found her they feel like even if it wasnt right away
they still got help for her. The only thing at stake for
them is their job because there is no video to arrest
them with

Perspective Cont.
Sandra Blands Family

They was trying to save for bail

They needed a little more time

Says she committed

suicide
Investigators
They believe the
police didnt do it
They feel like its
better to save the
alive police than the
deceased Sandra

Perspective Cont.
Analyzing:

The Key Players:

Sandra Blands family
Investigators

1. The Investigators play a big role in this incident by

telling what they believed really happened. The
investigators claimed Bland got a trash bag from
the trash can and hung herself. They feel like the
police had nothing to do with her death. Something
at stake for them would be their credibility. People
would stop trusting in their work if they find out all
of what the investigators are saying is made up in
order to protect someone else.
2. Blands family feels that they had to just keep
saving for the bail and that they tried to make all
the money but they needed more time. Something
at stake for them would have to be their guilty
conscience for knowing that if they payed the
money on time Bland will still be alright.

Problem

White state trooper

The white state trooper believed that it

was his duty to arrest Sandra Bland
forcefully for forgetting to use her turn
signal. He also believed that he needed
to take her to jail for such a small
mistake. Although he believed he was
just doing his job and saw nothing
wrong with the way he did it in my eyes
a job shouldnt change a persons
morals. He should know how to treat
someone whether it says it in the police
book or not.

Problem Cont.

Investigators

The investigators play one of the most important

roles because they get to decide the final
conclusion on what happened whether its wrong or
right. The investigators claim Bland killed herself by
using a trash bag. First she was 6 feet tall and she
was the average woman's weight so how could a
trash bag even hold her up? Then trash cans are not
allowed in cells because they cant be pinned to the
ground and is considered a loose item. So how
would she even get a trash bag? Therefore the
investigators are not putting two and two together
in order to find the truth. They are just going to the
easiest conclusion that benefits the police and not
Bland because they feel like if shes dead how can
she benefit but theres something called justice that
her and her family could have benefited off of.

White state trooper

Problem
Had no proof
Wasnt looking at
Investigator
the obvious or
reading between the
lines
Not trying to get
justice for Bland
because shes dead
Thinks she cant

Arrested her forcefully

Arrested her for a simple mistake

Turned nothing into something

Mixing his morals with his duty

Problem Cont.

Sandra Blands Family

The familys main priority should have

been getting Bland right out of jail and
to just pay the bail. It has been 3 days
and that was more than enough time
to bail Bland out of jail and get her out
of harms way. If they really was
determined to get her out then they
would have been had the money made.
Their ethnics should have been family
first and worry about money later.

Problem Cont.

Prison Guards

The prison guards basically only had one

job and that was to keep a look out on
each inmates cell. They failed at their one
job by coming too late to Blands cell.
When they found Bland dead in her cell
their priority should have been to get her
help right away. Instead they waited the
finally give her CPR. If they didnt kill her
then wheres the proof? If they would have
been watching her the way they were
supposed to then none of this would have
taken place and she would still have been
here.

Problem Cont.
Sandra Blands Family

Could have tried harder to make bail

Should have used their time wisely

Could have tried to find ways to get her out

Prison
Was supposed
to be
Guards
watching her
Should have gotten
her help as soon as
they found her
dead

Solution
Resolving

The Big Picture

Justifying

To resolve the dilemma the

first thing to be done is to
understand that everyone is
equal; we all are one. The
next resolution to the dilemma
is for the police to stop letting
their jobs change their morals.
They call it just doing their
job while we call it murder
and that has to change. The
last resolution to this dilemma
is for the police to stop lying
about what they know they
have done.

The big picture is that being a

black women that made a
mistake by failing to use a turn
signal should not have turned
into a big issue and be made a
time to kill. Also lying about
killing someone and blaming
them for their own death is
wrong and in my eyes that
should be a considered the
time to kill.

My approach about everyone

being equal makes sense because
think about it, all this started
with a white vs. black problem
that turned into a whole big issue.
If there was never police killing
black innocent people then this
situation wouldnt have escalated
the way it did. If the police stop
mixing their morals with their
jobs then they would know what
was right and wrong and wouldnt
have to make up excuses and lies
for what theyve done. When they
lie about what they have done it

Solution
Resolving
Everybody is equal

The big picture

Dont mix morals with

the job
Dont lie about what
really happened

A small incident
shouldnt have turned
into a time to kill
Lying about what
really happened
should be a time to
kill

Justifying
There would be no
more issues
They would know
right from wrong
There would be no
more need for lying
about crime

Implications: Just a few examples of what

happens when polices are just doing their jobs
When the police is just doing their job these are the
outcomes but could be prevented if the police just
use their morals, like I insisted in a way to resolve the
dilemma. Those pictures of Sandra Bland Philando
Castile, Michael Brown, and Alton Sterling are all
examples of people that were killed when polices are
just doing their job. Then the outcome results in
riots and broken hearts. Now when they use their
morals instead of what their job insists they should
do, this would all be avoided.