It was an ordinary day, but I watched as an officer struggled and battled with the other man. I became horrified as I heard the gunshot and the screams of the surrounding people. Something inside of me shattered as the officer rolled away and I watched blood pour from the bullet hole in the chest of a stranger. I have no knowledge of the events that occurred on that ordinary day, but this life changeing video appeared on my social media and I know that that man died. My soul ached as I watched another video that had appeared on my social media where the dead man's son cries for his father.

Not much time had passed before I saw another video of a different man. He sat in the car with his girlfriend, and, again, I watched as the blood poured from this strangers body. I heard the screams, the sobs, the outrage. I see the videos of violence that I do not know the cause of. I do not know why these men were shot, but I try to understand. It seems almost impossible to fathom what happens to a person, regardless of race, religion or sex, when they decide to pull the trigger and kill another human being.

I heard the police chief try to explain that the cops were there to prevent any violence that may happen, but they ended up being the ones left helpless and shot mercilessly. I heard more people scream and the witnesses on video try to remain calm, the fear more than overpowering in their voice. The reason these officers were shot is unclear, but some say it was for revenge and they say the protestors only want justice for the stangers whose bodies now lay cold. This is not justice! Every ounce of my soul screams. An eye for an eye makes the entire world blind, and many of us already cannot see the truth. I cannot offer any peace, yet my soul wants to help. All I can give you are my words.

Men do not deserve to die, but God finds a time for us all. I'm sorry but I'm afraid I struggle to find the words to explain His divine plan to you, and you may not find faith in Him anyway. We sit in a hurricane of fingers that swirl endlessly trying to find a place or a person to point at, but there is no one we can point fingers at. Some people are good, but other people are bad. Sometimes bad people to bad things to good people, and sometimes even good people do bad things. Violence is never the answer. A man who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of his own political gain? That man is a terrorist. The men who will not allow you to express who you are, he is a terrorist. The man who blames an entire group for the actions of few? He is probably afraid, or doesn't know the entire story.

I want to promise a beautiful and prosperous world, but I find people lose their innocence all too soon these days. I was too young to stand and watch those great towers fall, but now I'm old enough to know that bad people did it and good people died because of them. I do not know what it is like to hear that my loved one will not be returning home to me from a complete stranger, but I can hear the pain and anguish that living feel.

We can't understand the bad people and what makes them tick, but we must try to stop them. Only light can drive out darkness. All you can do is let your own light shine brightly so that others may see it and hope that that is enough to drive the darkness from others. We must treat others the way that we wish to be treated, and only that will create light. Treating others the way they treat us creates too much darkness. Please do not put the blame on me. There is no one to blame but the people who are filled with too much darkness. Sometimes our lights aren't bright enough until the light disappears from our eyes. Why is a man worthless until he is dead? Your mother's words never stung you until she could not say them anymore.

My soul aches for every human who is gone because of people filled with darkness. The world is dimmer without them.