Let me start off by saying that I in no way, shape or form have a prejudice of any kind against any race or religion. I respect everyone regardless of either. I am a firm believer that you are not defined by the color of your skin or where you come from. That being said, I also believe that all lives matter – black, brown, white, purple, yellow, and so on. I understand that the purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement is not to say that other lives do not matter but it still infuriates me, not because of what they stand for, but what they don't.
I am aware that police brutality exists. I am also aware that the media has a way of blowing things way out of proportion. It is wrong, not to mention childish, to blame an entire group of people for the actions of individuals. These cops that you are so willing to protest against and slander, they are the ones that are responding to the crimes in your neighborhoods. They are the ones risking their lives to keep your communities safe. But you don't see that. I am sure all of you can name the people that were shot by police officers, but can you name one person that was killed by a gang? Or in a drive by shooting? Or a drug deal? According to the FBI, of the 2,491 murders of African-Americans, 2,245 of them were committed by African-Americans. Where are the protests about that?
Police brutality is a problem and it needs to be stopped. However, rioting and targeting innocent police officers that had nothing to do with a shooting is not the answer. It is uncivilized and counterproductive. If you want things to change then hold individual officers accountable for their actions legally. Justice for violence will never come from more violence, it will only worsen the problem. You cannot fight a crime by committing more crime and expect a positive result. It is just not going to happen. Wake up and realize that burning buildings, vandalizing police cars, and hurting innocent people does not make you heroes or vigilantes. It makes you criminals.
What we are facing is not a black versus white war, it is a dark versus light war. People are not born with hate in their hearts. That is something they are taught. That is the dark. Not everything is about race. Some people are just down right hateful towards everyone, no matter the color of their skin. You cannot blame the dark entirely on racism, although that is a part of it. You also cannot blame it solely on one race. That's racist in itself! The dark is made up of people of all colors, religions, and creeds. The dark is what we are fighting, not each other.
Believe it or not, I think there is more light in this world than dark, it is just a little shy. The light is love and understanding. The light is compassion. The light is what we should all strive for, it is something we can all agree on no matter where we come from. In John 13:34, God tells us to love one another as He loves us. How does he love us? Only when we tithe? But not when we lie? Only when we pray? But not when we curse? Wrong. He loves us every second of every day for all of time. Even when we curse and deny His name, He loves us still. That is the kind of love we need. Not only for people who are just like us, but for everyone. If we could all just try, the light might just shine a little brighter.
