It’s 3:30 a.m., and I am filled with unrest. The events of the past few days have confirmed my deepest fears for humanity. We as a culture have such a disregard for human life that we are killing in the name of justice. People of color are being senselessly killed over minor infractions. Innocent officers are being mowed down as some sort of misguided attempt at revenge. The hate needs to stop. But these awful actions are a result of the hate fueled rhetoric that we perpetuate each and every day. By allowing ourselves to become divided, it becomes easier for it to be an “us against them” scenario. Bigoted speak and ignorant Facebook posts seem pretty harmless until you acknowledge that hateful actions are the product of hateful ideas.
As I learned of the two most recent victims of police brutality, I was filled with anger. When did being black become an offense punishable by death? It’s upsetting, and sickening, and I feel powerless. Sometimes even more terrifying than black lives being taken, though, is what follows. As outrage for unjustified death is amplified, #BlackLivesMatter begins to trend. Three little words; a movement meant to call attention to the mistreatment of people of color in America, evokes powerful emotions from both sides of the spectrum. For the black community, seeing their brothers and sisters gunned down as a result of fear, racism, and ill-placed power, they are terrified and they want justice. For others, it is seen as a threat to the majority; as a dangerous social movement hell bent on an upheaval of the system that inherently benefits white folks.
As a white woman, I will never fully be able to understand the struggles that plague people of color. My privilege removes me from the immediacy of it all. Black Lives Matter is a movement I sympathize with and stand behind, but at the end of the day, my life and the lives of my family do not depend upon it.
Given that everyone has a loud opinion on the matter, there are venomous debates taking place online and in other spheres. I have made the mistake of reading the comment section on a number of threads relating to these events. My stomach turns as I read individuals trying to justify a man being shot with his child in the backseat. Black victims and the systematic oppression they face is discredited by (generally well-meaning, but painfully unaware) individuals screaming “all lives matter” at the top of their lungs. In a different discussion, yes, we should value human life regardless of race, religion, or circumstance. But not all lives are being threatened during routine traffic stops. Not all lives are targeted and profiled as criminals before they are seen as human. Black lives matter does not mean that black lives matter more, it simply means that we are doing a pretty poor job of protecting people of color, and that’s where our efforts need to lie for the time being.
Also infiltrating comment sections is the very detrimental “f**k the police” mindset. I understand that we are angry, and dumbfounded that these events keep happening, but pitting people against law enforcement is not going to halt the violence. The actions in Dallas manifested out of the idea that every cop is out to get you. Police officers are people. They have families. There are so many good people that joined the force to protect their community, and just want to do their job and go home. I weep for fallen police officers targeted for nothing more than their uniform. There are certainly dirty cops, and I definitely think recruitment and training of police officers needs to be reevaluated. However, when blameless officers are killed in the line of duty, I ache for their families and communities. My favorite cousin is working toward entering the police academy. I am terrified that if things continue this way, I will one day receive a phone call that will fill my heart with dread.
The Dallas sniper does not represent BLM. BLM activists are not advocating going on killing sprees. They are simply demanding respect and safety for members of their community. Officers who brutally beat and kill unarmed civilians are not representative of the entire police force. A handful bad apples does not mean we should set fire to the whole orchard. I am at a loss as the tension continues to boil over. I want to curl up and denounce my fellow man, and give up on humanity as a whole. I acknowledge that we no longer have the luxury of shaking our heads and wondering what this world is coming to. The time for action is now. The time for change is now. The actions we take, in the coming days and weeks, must be appropriate, though. Be outraged. Demand change. But do so in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the endgame. Remember what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
