This has been a rough week for Americans. On July 5, Alton Sterling was shot by a police officer while pinned to the ground. A day later, Philando Castile's girlfriend begins a Facebook live stream in which Castile is seen shot and dying in front of his 4-year-old daughter after informing the officer that he was licensed to carry a weapon and that he was reaching for his wallet. On July 7, Dallas officers were struck by a sniper, leaving five officers dead. I am deeply saddened by all of the events that have taken place over the past seven days and I hope that after this chain of events, we can grow and prosper. I have some final thoughts as this week comes to a close (it's Saturday as I am writing this) that I would like to share with all of you.
Pro-police does not equal anti-black; pro-black does not equal anti-police.
I have to credit Trevor Noah from "The Daily Show" for this commentary, but as far as Facebook posts go, you may not have caught the full video. Regardless, that's the short of his response that aired on "The Daily Show." To be for something, you do not have to be against something. At this point, our only hope is working together, so please remember this when thinking of your peers. You can be against violence without choosing sides.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Violence is not the answer. We can't continue to kill each other. I don't feel as though I need to elaborate any further on this point.
Prejudice does nothing but hold everyone back.
We still have no idea the good we could do if we are all united. We have to start raising each other up instead of putting each other down. You can fight stereotypes. Black lives DO matter. Blue lives matter. Life matters.
In conclusion, I wish to express my condolences to all that lost loved ones in the recent spate of violence. We must progress. We must learn from these mistakes. Pray for these men and women. Pray for the police. Pray for the Black Lives Matter Movement. Pray for peace.
Finally, I love every single person that reads this article and everyone who doesn't. I love you if you don't agree with me, and I love you if you do. I fully support the Black Lives Matter Movement, as well as Back the Blue. I hope you all can say the same.
"Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world."
