I'm not one to usually comment on politics. I don't typically get involved in the debates over various issues in our country. That's not to say that I don't have an opinion or care about the issues - I just don't feel like I need to share those thoughts with the world.
However, I'm making an exception for the Dallas police officer massacre that happened last night. C called me to explain what was going on (I was at my mom's house and missed the news broadcast), and I was in shock. As more details surface and I watch press conferences regarding the situation, I can't quite organize my thoughts. So here is my attempt to organize my mind and come to terms with the grief in my heart for those heroes that protected people protesting AGAINST them.
This situation is a tragedy. There is no other way to look at it. The men and women in blue put their lives on the line every. single. day. Not a day goes by that they are not risking everything for people they have never even met. I'm not saying that their lives are worth any more or less than any other, and I'm not undermining the loss of life of those black men who were killed by officers that led to protests... But, I am saying that we need to call this what it is: an evil action against people that were doing their job to protect others.
I do not believe all police officers are good. Let's be honest, there are bad people in this world. Some of those people are likely police officers. I even think that some police officers start out with good intentions and the power eventually changes things. However, with that being said, there is absolutely no reason that we need to judge all police officers on the actions of a few. Because I truly believe most police officers are good. And honestly, I wasn't there in any of those "unarmed" situations. I have only seen what media has twisted, and I know there are always at least two sides to every story.
One thing I do know is that regardless of my beliefs about police officers, I will always treat them with respect. I personally have never had a bad experience with a police officer. Now, obviously I have a bit of a bias as I am a white female, and I'm not overlooking that. But I do know that regardless of my thoughts, if I get pulled over (or are in some other way interacting with police officers), I treat them with utmost respect. However, I try to do that with all people I interact with. It's called common decency.
I know it is thought by many that the world is made of good and bad people. But that is a little too dichotomous for my way of thinking. I think the world is made of people. And those people make choices - sometimes good choices, sometimes bad choices, and sometimes indifferent choices. And sometimes those choices don't affect anyone else, but sometimes they do. In this case, a group of people chose to make an extremely evil choice against people they had never met based on a predetermined belief system that police officers are bad. And that choice impacts not only those directly involved, but the entire nation.
The problem here, as I see it, is indifference to those choices. There is outrage on behalf of those officers, but there is also some condescension. This is being called a "gun-related tragedy" by politicians who are using it as a stepping point to further the push for better gun laws. I heard during one news broadcast that "the police officers had guns and didn't stop the violence, so we need to stop saying that good people with guns can stop bad people with guns." But let's take a step back and look at what is really happening. This tragedy is being shepherded into the camp of gun-related tragedy, but what it really is is a people tragedy. Stop villainizing guns and start looking at the real issue - that people are okay with people, any people - black, white, men, women, police officers, civilians - being murdered. Let's address the real issue here instead of ignoring what really happened and start loving one another again
I could go on, but let's leave it at that. Love one another in spite of our differences.
Love from Okieland,
E
