Like many others across the globe Thursday, I couldn’t help but stay glued to my mobile device and television trying to comprehend the senselessness of the ambush that claimed the lives of five Dallas Police officers.
With each passing moment, social media and the ever-present 24-hour news cycle continued to paint a tragic and heartbreaking scene.
How a group of snipers positioned above a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest, which showcased the epitome of democracy at its finest, gunned down Dallas Police and Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers protecting that group. How officers and citizens alike tried desperately to avoid becoming victims, sprinting for cover as best they could in the many cell phone video coverage that’s been played.
Then came the announcement authorities found a “suspect,” whose image was wrongfully shared across social media before anyone had any answers.
One of the most harrowing images of the night came from the heartbreaking front page from the Dallas Morning News. The image of a police officer in tears below the headline, “Ambush,” will be a tough image to shake.
Every single one of these images has now been burned into our collective national conscience. The confusion, the chaos, the overwhelming grief – all of it tearing into what seems to be an ever growing hole into our souls as Americans.
It’s becoming painfully aware that our country is slowly tearing itself apart from the inside out.
Animosity between peoples has suddenly and shockingly become the norm. Not helping are bombastic morons such as Donald Trump who continue to the fan the flames of racial and societal divide.
Our country is based on the concept of a “melting pot” society. But what happens when hate and violence begin to melt the pot itself?
Events such as what happened in Dallas, the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and many other mass shootings and the shootings of unarmed black men by police officers occur.
It all needs to stop. Enough is enough.
It’s high time our country hit the brakes and take an inward look at ourselves.
We can’t let hate, fear and violence dictate our livelihoods, much less how we treat and perceive other peoples.
Perhaps we’ve forgotten that we’re all on the same team.
A good majority of us, if not all, believe in our country’s ideals. Ultimately, we all want what’s best for our children, our grandchildren and so on.
So why in the hell do we decide it’s okay to fire weapons on a large group of people to get our point across? Why do we allow hate to permeate itself into our consciousness?
It’s mind boggling how narrow minded we can be as a society, as a democracy.
When are we going to realize that all lives matter?
Not just black lives or white lives, but all lives. Every last single one of us on this great blue marble.
Our forefathers who fought for freedom and equality for our nation would be extremely ashamed of our actions today.
We need to remind ourselves that we’re all human and that we’re all in this so-called life together.
moses@haysfreepress.com