Call the Police

1
Imagine
You are

A Muslim girl
In a western European city
Being harassed by a group of young white men
On the street
At night
While walking home
From a party
Yes, you’ve had one or two long drinks
With alcohol

Imagine
Would you
Call the police?

2
Imagine
You are

An old dark-skinned man
Being accused of fraud
At the bank office counter
You wanted to withdraw some money
From your bank account
Fivethousand Euros
Your hard earned money
Long saved
For your daughter
Who needs it for surgery overseas

Imagine
Would you
Call the police?

3
Imagine
You are

A Polish boy
Missing your bicycle
You well know
You’ve locked it
Outside the employment exchange
You still wear your scars
From a recent bike accident
Like a mark
Like a stigma

Imagine
Would you
Call the police?

4
Imagine
You are

An old German woman
Living alone
Because you want to be independent
From other people
For as long as possible
Your hearing grew hard recently
Some day someone called you by telephone
They said
They needed your help
You’re an old lady
Sometimes you believe
Nobody needs you anymore
Of course you want to help
You helped with your saved money
Saved for your last days living
At some point later
You realize
They didn’t want your help
They only wanted your money
You already mistrust the police
Because you are only able
To read the big letters in your daily newspaper
The headlines