On Friday morning, I made my daily commute with a heavy heart as I listened to the news that five Dallas police officers were shot down the night before, with several suffering injuries, including a civilian.
I was even more disturbed when I learned that this act of pure aggression and hatred was meant to protest the unjust deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling-- black men who died at the hands of corrupt police officers who had no affiliation to the officers recently killed in Dallas.
From the Orlando shooting to the murders in Louisiana and Minnesota, and the homicide in Dallas, it’s now more apparent than ever that there is an enemy tearing America apart.
This enemy is not a person, or group of people. This enemy doesn’t wear a uniform, or have a specific sexual orientation or skin color. The true rival we’re facing has the potential to live within everyone, and has fueled hate crimes and mass genocides for centuries.
The real issue is dehumanization.
When we dehumanize another person, we are giving into the same hatred and discrimination that takes black lives and murders innocent police officers. The trouble lies in believing that one’s prejudice is more valuable than another's’ life, that the qualities of another somehow makes them less of a human and thus justify the kind of brutality and savagery witnessed in the past few months. When we perceive another as anything but exactly what they are--a human being with the capacity to feel emotion and experience life--we are denying ourselves of an identity we share with the world around us.
This war can’t be fought with different hashtags. We need to stop blaming movements for not adequately solving an issue that goes far beyond today’s political climate. "#Blacklivesmatter" was never an exclusive expression, but rather a call for justice in a world where racism and discrimination are still rampant and undeniably putting blacks at a disadvantage, whether it be socially, economically, or politically. Focusing on a group of people who are on the receiving end of hate crimes does not invalidate other hate crimes, as recent events have certainly made apparent.
However, nominating a hashtag--no matter what it is--to dominate the topic of reform and replace another civil rights rally won’t get us anywhere if it means spreading more violence.
The lives lost in every incident didn’t change the hearts of anyone, or make new laws. All that these acts of violence did was cause grief, pain, and more violence. This cycle of hatred won’t bring anyone to justice or solve any problems. If we are to overcome such a hard time, plagued by unnecessary death and bigotry, we need to unite, not divide.
Instead of pointing fingers and regarding others with aggression, we need to remember that the lives lost--whether it be an innocent police officer or innocent black man--are lives of real people with real families and friends. At the core of everything is our humanity. It is now more important than ever to recognize our capability to use empathy instead of anger to bring us one step closer to resolution, instead of fostering a ripple effect that will only breed more cruelty and tragedy.
