On Sunday, July 17 at approximately 9 o'clock in Baton Rouge, there was an attack on police officers in a stand-off shooting. So far, three officers have been declared deceased and at least three more are injured and receiving medical care.

The attack comes at a time of tension. Most recently, there was an attack in Dallas on police officers that left five dead. These two police attacks seem to be in response to the two murders earlier this month of African-American men who were killed by police officers.

It's difficult to determine how to react to these incidents. Upon learning of the two deaths earlier this month, one of a man named Alton Sterling and the other of a man named Philando Castile, my heart ached and my mind raced trying to understand why either one of them deserved to die. Clearly, they did not. Racism played a role in both situations, and neither one of the men posed enough of a threat to the police officers to be shot on the spot as they were.

However, my heart aches and my mind races equally as much when I hear about these police officers losing their lives in what looks like a reaction to the recent passing of Castile and Sterling.

Violence is not the answer. Violence shouldn't be answered with more violence.

I support the Black Lives Matter movement, I support equality of all races and I want to see the end of racism.

I also support anti-violence initiatives, and I feel that in order to make a difference in the way police officers handle situations, we the people should go to the courthouse and petition, not aim and shoot.

I hope our country's people and our country's police officers can realize that these terrible acts of violence need to end. It's time for us all to come together and support each other, understand each other and work toward bringing this country back together.