by Sneha

Sadly I must follow up on my post from March 17 and since no one can phrase what is going on in our society better than Dr. Martin Luther King, I rely on him once again.

My profession allows me to work hand in hand with police officers and just like every profession out there, there are good ones and bad ones. You have good and bad doctors, accountants, politicians, plumbers, artists, chefs, you name it. So when did it become acceptable to place blame on an entire profession for the acts of individuals?

Growing up, I was taught to trust and respect police officers. Police officers take an oath to uphold the law; to protect us; help us; keep us safe. Unfortunately, as a prosecutor, I have witnessed first-hand how much the new generation has changed; they have little to no respect for rules, law enforcement, and educators. Now, I agree there is still a lot of hate, inequality and injustice that needs to be addressed but how will we change if the only answer is based on ignorance? Not all police officers are bad; just like not all targeted criminals should be arrested or shot. When will seek the truth and demand justice versus simply killing random people?

How will we ever move forward if we are blinded by false and/or partial truths? Educator Jane Eliot said it best: “We are taught to hate; we are taught to be ignorant. There is no gene for racism, there is no gene for bigotry; you aren’t born to be racist or a bigot, you learn to be one. If we can learn, then we can unlearn. We need to stop thinking we are better than another just on the base of pigmentation; it has nothing to do with self worth or intelligence…”

I couldn’t agree more; we aren’t born to be violent and hateful; we are influenced, taught and molded by peers, media, and family. Being influenced by opinions verses facts leads to the blind following the blind; not only will we face constant civil unrest but the integral pillars like diversity, experience, strength, accomplishments and intelligence that make this county great are slowly crashing around us and no one seems to care.

When will we hold each other responsible for educating ourselves and our youth with the truth? We rely so heavily on media outlets where the truth gets lost or misconstrued due to issues such as policies, politics, or ratings. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not here to analyze and share my own views on the recent killings of citizens and officers but I am in awe at how easily Americans are influenced with false impressions. A horrific video posted will cause an immediate uproar but how many viewers actually seek the truth, surrounding circumstances and events? How many times do we jump to conclusions?

Society’s ignorance is spreading and no one wants to admit it. How will we raise the next generation if we continue to backlash, blame and segregate? They are learning that hate, violence and disrespect are acceptable. I see it everyday at work. Basing everything on what you read on social media or what you hear on the news, isn’t that ignorance? Instead I propose we stand, fight, and support each other in the war against ignorance, racism and hate.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ALL lives matter. Races were created people so that one group can feel superior to another but the fact is that there is only one race: the human race. After all the videos and negativity that was posted I have to say the silver lining were the videos of ALL citizens, regardless of their pigmentation, background or status, lining up to hug, thank and pray with Dallas Police Officers. This week we continue to bury 5 of our finest. May God bless their families and let them rest in peace and with the highest honor. And may God bless those who continue to protect and put their own lives in harms way everyday here on American soil and overseas.