As I look at my phone and turn on the tv, all I see are such acts of hatred. The country is being ripped apart by prejudice and stereotyping. I can honestly say my heart hurts for Dallas, for police officers, and for the black community who is absolutely being oppressed. There must be change in people's hearts before we can all truly come together as one. Responding to senseless acts of violence with violence will never effect the change people wish to see.

Oppression is real. Hate is real. Cruelty is the reality of the world we live in today. Innocent lives have been lost and I pray that we, as a country, will reject the corruption bound to make its way into any system and come together in love and support. A house divided will not stand, so let's acknowledge that the acts of a few do not represent all, and stand together to demand the change we so desperately need.

We need love, we need acceptance, and we need unity. My heart hurts every time news breaks of conflict where lives are lost. The turmoil present in our country is scary, but the division occurring between not only race, but also religion, is even more terrifying. There is a bigger issue within our communities, one that we must look bravely in the face and combat the best we can. Instead of embracing our differences, we have been condemning them as wrong.

I will never understand how anger and hate can grow so strong it results in loss of life, but I do understand how I must respond to it. I choose to love and support those affected in any way possible; I choose to stand with my fellow man. In the face of racism, of oppression, of danger, we must support one another. Together we are strong, and together we can bring about the change necessary in America. The atmosphere of tension, fear, and hatred must be given a hard look, hand in hand, with out fellow Americans, and we must decide if we will allow our country to decline into one of unrest and segregation. We are more than hate, we are more than the corrupt men and women who commit terrible acts.