When will peace be restored in our country? This is a question that has been on my mind lately. It seems like it is not something that can see in our near future due to all of the events that have taken place this past week. What started off as a week of celebration because of Independence Day ended with sadness and everyone being shook up about the tragic events that took place throughout the course of the week.

A reoccurring issue in our society is that innocent lives are being taken by the hands of police officers, those who are there to protect us. Now, there are other things wrong with our country, but in more recent years it seems as if there is a police brutality case in the media more often than it needs be because in all honesty it should not be happening. I am not one that typically openly shares my thoughts about certain situations, this being one of them. It saddens me that the black community is discriminated against due to the color of their skin. Although there should be equality amongst all, it is easier said than done. It is a shame that to this day people are still judged by race, religion, job, classification, you name it.

Going to a Catholic high school has made me more aware of what it means to be pro-life. Typically, when one thinks of the term pro-life, one thinks of issues regarding abortion or euthanasia. Personally, when I think of the term I tend to think of the given right that a person has to live. People will argue against abortion and how it isn’t right to take away an innocent life, but others will not feel the same about the lives taken daily for no apparent reason. It is important to realize that everyone's precious life matters. I think it is important to be for life in general, whether it be pro black lives and pro police lives. It is indeed possible to stand for both. As it relates to the victims of the police killings and the Dallas officers that were killed, each person had the right to live and their lives were unfairly taken away.

With all of the tragic events that have taken place this past week, I took the time to reflect on the world that surrounds me. As it relates to police brutality, I understand that some cops mistreating people or taking the lives of others doesn’t make all cops bad, but I also understand that the lives that were taken were in fact not all justifiable. The event that took place in Dallas this past week was devastating to say the least. The young man thought that taking the lives of police officers would send a message, but instead this act of violence did the exact opposite. The black community wants to be heard and wants there to be a change, but honestly violence is not the way to go about making a difference.

If you disagree with something, that is okay because not everyone is going to agree on the same things. If you want to make a change, that is okay too, as long as you do it in a positive way. What is not okay is seeking revenge with other acts of violence because that disturbs the peace in our nation. For every act of violence why not do an act of kindness to balance it out. Why must a person often times look into violent measures to get their point across? There are many other ways to go about doing just that. If you respond back to a situation with violence nothing is getting solved, instead it is just causing violent outbreaks to go back and forth.

Ever since I was a young girl I was known as a peacemaker. Why is that? Well, I love to keep the peace because personally I do not like drama and think it is important to remain at peace always. I wish that someday all people will set aside their differences and work together for the better. That is, to end excessive acts of violence and strive for peace in our nation.

“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King, Jr.