In light of yet another tragedy involving an unarmed African American man, in this case 37-year-old Alton Sterling, being fatally shot by a White police officer, I am asking myself the same questions I’ve asked before. What causes humans to kill unarmed civilians strictly based on their race? Why couldn’t they just let him be? Why must good people be forced to live in danger when they do no harm and possess certain qualities they cannot control? There is so much to reflect on, and my hopes are that my reflection can help in some way. Because at this point, I, like many others who have heard and read about these hate crimes, feel powerless.

This happened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Immediately I think people are going to dismiss this incident as something that happened in the “redneck” or “racist” part of the country. It’s to be expected. Those uneducated people never learned to be tolerant like everyone else. When I see people coming up with excuses or justifications for this incident, it shocks me how quickly they forget about Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, or Eric Garner. Those incidents happened in different states culturally and otherwise. The above list of victims, which is absolutely not exhaustive, represents people of different ages and walks of life. They just happened to be African American and in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I bet if I was in that place at that time I wouldn’t trigger any mental alarms to shoot. Those people who forget can afford to because it doesn’t affect them like it affects African American people. Then why do I remember and why do I care so much? Because I fear for others, not just my friends and acquaintances who fit this demographic, but everyone on a massive scale. I think it’s beyond screwed up how the color of a person’s skin puts them at a higher percentage of being a fatality and a statistic than someone else.

And this method of unjustified targeting is not exclusive to the South, or to states that are in different time zones. This has and still does happen very frequently in California. This happened recently within a half hour of my hometown, with a young girl named Reggina Jefferies being shot at a vigil in Oakland. This happened on or near my university’s campus. From an African American student being escorted out of a study space by police for no apparent reason to others being victims of hate crimes and being unable to quickly contact local authorities, which sparked the #BlackUnderAttack movement. And it’s not just African American students who have felt hard done by or targeted on this campus: The Hispanic, Muslim, Jewish, Palestinian, and LGBTQIA communities have been as well. I don’t think this is justice. I think it is shameful that a place like UC Davis which appears to be a safe and respectful environment is only truly that for certain people.

This is a systemic and cultural issue and the entirety of society is to blame. A solution is not clear though. Everyone has a unique perspective and some things will be more important to certain individuals and groups of people than others. That surely is Facebook's thinking when we were able to change our profile pictures to the colors of the French flag but not those of Kenya, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, or Iraq in the wake of their respective tragedies. Unfortunately, these varying perspectives over time have been categorized into various hierarchies, which has made people wonder how important they are in the grand scheme of things. And people have taken notice that some voices are given amplifiers and others have been given mute buttons. One of the most obvious examples is Brock Allen Turner. This former Stanford University swimmer was proven guilty of raping an unconscious woman, but not only was he let off with a light prison sentence, his reports contained extensive information on his swimming prowess and used a formal photo instead of a mugshot. When the subject is an African American man, or one without ties to a prestigious society, there is guaranteed inclusion of a mugshot and lengthier sentence.

What’s sickening is how people actively go out of their way to silence others. In the political front the way some of the supporters of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have acted towards other supporters has been heinous, if I were to use a kind word. It’s one thing to have an opinion and express it, but it’s a completely different and wrong thing to haze and physically assault people. Also you have had hashtags such as #HeteroSexualPrideDay that diminish the issues and importance of #PrideMonth and more recently the aftermath of the shooting and massacre in Orlando. It’s a constant battle between groups that have suffered in ways I will never truly know and experience and those who want to silence them because they want to maintain the position society has unwittingly given certain groups of people. I have found myself in those groups. Because I have white skin and I identify as male, I am statistically much less prone to being stalked, harassed, catcalled, shot, assaulted, insulted, or subject to other forms of hate. But I won’t stand for that. I will stand with my friends, coworkers, and everyone else in my life who cannot fully enjoy theirs as I have before. They deserve to have the full support of their peers, to know that they are not alone in their struggles. To know that their words do not fall on deaf ears.

Solidarity is one of the few things we have control over. We let fear, hate, and anger win when we are divided against each other. When we are pointing fingers and scapegoating one another as an alternative to finding a solution. I know I’ve been undeservedly given the privilege to ignore these tragedies if I wished, but that does not do my friends justice. This is affecting many people I hold dear to me in my life and it’s affecting many people in their lives as well. People I work with, study with, share meals, stories, and memories with. They are important to me, so I must show my support in the most genuine of ways. And if this article accomplishes anything, it lets them and many others know where I stand. And I’ll be ready and waiting for more opportunities to contribute. Solidarity will become more and more important, especially since during the time I wrote this article more violence had occurred, Philando Castile also being slain and suspected shooter Micah Xavier Johnson attacking police officers in Dallas. I hope I’m not the only one who sees this spiraling out of control.