There was another shooting last week in Dallas. Five police officers have been killed and ten were wounded during a demonstration. White and black people were demonstrating in Dallas after two black men were killed in Minnesota and Louisiana. One of the snipers, who was killed, said he wanted to kill white people.
So we get to have this whole conversation again about gun control and race. This whole thing makes me so sad. I'm tired of people killing each other. I'm tired of terrorist. The week before the shootings in Dallas there were three bombings in the Middle East. One was in Saudi Arabia near a holy mosque.
Life is difficult sometimes. Most of us have jobs, we care for our family and friends. If we have kids we try to make sure they become amazing people, either through church or friends and family or both. We may be late on some bills, have some credit card debt, or barely make it on minimum wage.
My point is that nothing is easy. We all have struggles, and I really want to see the good in people, but when something happens like what happened in Dallas it's hard. The police now have to worry about people sniping them when they are doing their job and black men and woman have to worry about maybe being shot when they get pulled over because one of their lights are out. Where does it stop?
I'll tell you one thing though. I'm tired of everyone thinking that they are a hundred percent correct. Everything that I just mentioned happened in the first two paragraphs happened because something came before it. Police saw a rise in violence and so their on edge and maybe innocently or not they believe the situations on the streets called for a gun to be pulled. Maybe they thought the person was a threat. So, using their best judgement and pulled their pistol and fired.
The person they shot could have been innocent and now the community feels threatened. So, members of that community carry guns. This leads to someone shooting officers in their parked squad cars. Now the officers are on edge and if they see someone they think is dangerous they shoot.
That person may have a permit to carry or gun, or they could be selling CD's outside a convenience store.
Then there is a vigil and a peaceful protest in Dallas. Then a man comes and wants to kill white people so he shoots at police. Now social media explodes with 'Black Live Matter' and 'Compliance and Silence'. Now no one is talking about what really is happening. We all have struggles, and it's our inability to have empathy for other human beings that is the problem. We cannot put ourselves in other peoples shoes.
I am white and 36 years old. My family didn't have a lot of money growing up. For a period in my life I was raised by my mother and she got food stamps. I've eaten government cheese. I've had to roll change to buy food and gas. I've had only rice to eat until my next paycheck. The thing is I've had it luckier then some. I've always had warm food and a dry place to call home.
There are some people, many people that have had it worse then I have. I have not had to worry about getting pulled over because of the color of my skin. I haven't had to worry about getting shot by an officer if he felt like he was on edge. I'm completely grateful for this but also ashamed that I have to write this sentence. This situation makes me tired. As I was rereading this and cleaning it up another black man was shot in New York. I am saddened beyond belief.
The thing is even though I'm tired I still want to talk about this, so if you want to let me know how you think. Maybe if we keep talking about it we'll make it better.