I can't stop thinking about the heartbreaking loss of Valentina Orellana-Peralta. Reading through the details of her death, I'm struck by how delicate and fragile life is, especially for those caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. What particularly caught my attention was how Valentina was just trying to enjoy a day shopping with her mom, something so many of us do without a second thought. The report from the DOJ leaves me uneasy though. While I understand the conclusions they reached, I can’t help but feel a disconnect between policy and human consequence. It’s hard to reconcile how such a horrible mistake can happen at the cost of a young life without any charges being filed. I think about Valentina’s family all the time, and it's incredibly heavy knowing they'll forever carry the burden of this tragedy. It's clear something needs to change to prevent these incidents. Maybe better training or protocols would make a difference. These situations are incredibly complex, but improvements have to be part of the conversation to ensure safety for everyone involved.
