Shot in the Dark

Thursday Thought
7/14/2016

Shot in the Dark

Resolving Gun Violence

About this time last week, several police officers were killed while observing a peaceful protest of the recent deaths of two young men over the past week. Prior to the shots that were fired at the uniformed officers of peace... People were marching and stating their perspectives on what happened recently. Then the shots rang out.

There's a clip that was show on the news, showing the demonstrators walking proudly marching together, unified for a positive social change. Next you hear the cracking of the bullets being fired, you see these once proud, unified protesters scatter in fear. Violence does not require violence to make things right, that is a barbaric way to believe our modern world should work.

In order to prevent police violence against the civilian, there are a series of things that need to happen. This is me going out on a limb to outline a moderate's view on how to progress past these current issues.

We must change the interaction and reaction during dialogue between police and civilians by changing the rhetoric and expectations of both parties. Not all cops are bad, not all civilians are good. As one ethnicity versus another, we must stop assuming they wish to do us harm and approach it with a middle ground belief. If you stop trying to be ignorant, stop fighting the system, stop living in prejudice, then these issues can find solutions through understanding. Treating yourself and the other party with respect can suddenly initiate a better world through peaceful minutes and sober understanding.

Do not let your emotions run hot because of something that you disagree with or an event that caused harm to someone you relate with. Instead let the chills sink to your bones, let it warm your soul to wake up to the need for change.

Those who have died do not deserve a moment of silence, they deserve change in order to prevent the same events that took their lives. Let's give them peace in death, by providing peace with each other in this life. Enough is enough, we should all take care of each other and do all that we can to end meaningless violence here at home. Peace does not exist in pieces, it needs to be whole, which requires us as Americans to take part in this as one people, living in one country.