Recently, the United States has been plagued with horrific acts of violence that can barely be explained but ultimately demand justice. This movement that calls for justice towards the recent incidents that resulted in the loss of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarippa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Lorne Ahrens.
I want to begin this article by stating that being supportive of the black men who were killed by officers does not mean you are against the white police officers who were killed by a protester, and vice versa. Each side of the battle field is dealing with tremendous, unnecessary loss and it is genuinely heart breaking that these acts of violence exist today.
Alton Sterling
The young father of four was recently murdered this past week while outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. What caused police to arrive to the scene was a 911 call made by a homeless man who claimed Sterling flashed a gun towards him after he had asked for money. Various videos that have caught the internet and media outlets by storm show Sterling being thrown on a hood of a silver car and then pinned to the ground. Two shots are heard, followed by a small pause and then three more fatal shots. It is also claimed that police pulled a gun from Sterling’s right pocket after he was shot and killed. The incident is being thoroughly investigated, Louisiana Governor states. He also continues with “the investigation into the use of unreasonable or excessive force will be assisted by the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI in the state." What caused the situation to escalate to the point of murder is not set in stone, but race is very much an element in the situation and there is no denying it.
It is an argument that Sterling had a gun on him during the altercation and it can be heard in the cellphone video of someone at the scene yelling “Gun!” but the man was pinned down by two officers and would have been unable to shoot and harm people at the scene. Even if it is true that Sterling possessed a gun, it is still excessive to shoot and kill a man for having a gun on his person. The officers themselves believe the force they used in the situation is completely justified. Unless Sterling was holding and ready to shoot, the officer should not have gone to that extent to “de-escalate” the situation.
The officers involved have both been placed on paid Administrative Leave until further notice.
Philando Castile
He was 32 and engaged. Castile worked as a school cafeteria worker who was loved by the students and his coworkers. The only sign of a “criminal record” were minor traffic offenses. Murdered by a Minnesota police officer as he sat in a car with his fiancee and her four year old child, Castile stated to the officer that he had a license to carry and had the weapon on him. The officer then proceeded to ask Castile to stay still but to show him some form of identification. As Castile went to reach for his wallet, the officer grabbed his gun and released five bullets into Castile’s arm and torso. If the officer had taken the moment to only point the gun at Castile to issue a second warning, one less life would have been lost this week, another child wouldn’t be without a father, and a wife wouldn’t be without a husband. Minnesota’s governor, Mark Dayton, spoke out about the incident saying "I can't say how shocked I am and deeply, deeply offended that this would happen to somebody in Minnesota, no one should be shot in Minnesota for a tail light being out of function. No one should be killed in Minnesota while seated in their car." He also proceeded to demand an investigation to be done from the Justice Department
The officers in question for the incident are also on paid administrative leave.
Dallas Officers
In light of the previous events, a disgruntled man of the black community lashed out and targeted white police officers while at a protest. The men who died while protecting the citizens were Brent Thompson, 43, Patrick Zamarippa, 32, Michael Krol, 40, Michael Smith, 55, and Lorne Ahrens. The attack happened during a Black Lives Matter rally in Texas after the deaths of Sterling and Castile. After the suspect opened fire into the crowd from a building, the crowd dispersed and the remaining officers took into action. Knowing how dangerous the shooter is, the remaining answer was to detonate a bomb in the building the shooter remained. At first it was suspected the shooter did not act alone, but after multiple interviews with other suspects, it became apparent the shooter acted alone.
Wives have been left behind. Children have been left behind. Families and communities are shattered and unsafe. The world has grown a little darker and the need for justice and revision has never been greater. As a society, we must realize we are equal. "Black Lives Matter" is not dismissing any value of a person who is white. It is simply a protest against the idea that black people are lesser than whit people. It is to bring to light the struggles the community faces because of the color of their skin. Being pro-black does not make you anti-white. That is as ludicrous as saying that since you support gay rights then you believe heterosexual people should have their rights revoked. We need equality. We need understanding. We need to pause. We need help.
