At the time of writing this article, it has been one of the most agonizing weeks for both the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black community in general, as well as the Blue Lives Matter movement and all policemen alike. The death of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the less publicized death of Delrawn Small have all stirred an outrage in the Black Lives Matter community and supporters; these deaths, all with footage and details, are undeniable proof that racism and police brutality is an issue in this country and actions must be taken to make a change.

Adding onto those tragic deaths, five policemen were shot and killed by a sniper unassociated with Black Lives Matter protesters that were marching after the events of the week in Dallas, Texas. This has stirred both movements once again, spawning a new wave of hate in this civil war between people.

This begs the question, what side should you stand on? The answer is both. Black Lives Matter stands for the marginalized black population that is subjected to discrimination and racism more than any other group. Blue Lives Matter stands for keeping faith in the police, understanding the difficulty of their line of work, and wishing them safety in every day of their job. However, a great amount of people seem to believe that these are opposing factions and that standing for one involves being the enemy of the other.

Let us address those on the Black Lives Matter side who believe the police to be the enemy. Let it be said that your rage is understandable, that given the circumstances it’s hard to react any other way when your brothers and sisters are victims of hate and violence that is ultimately derived from race alone. However, to those that view the police as the enemy, that is not the case. Policemen are good people, risking their lives each and every day so that we may live peaceful lives; while there are clear exceptions to this, making this a war against our peacekeepers is a step in the wrong direction. The core issue lies in the fact that racism still exists, not that all cops are racist. So moving forward, keep this a movement to tackle the root of the problem, not those associated with the evil people who channel their power and racism into violence.

Addressing those in the Blue Lives Matter movement that make this a war against Black Lives Matter and continue to defend fellow cops that have done clear wrong, we need you to stop. To be clear, I understand that accidents happen and I understand that sometimes the lives of policemen are on the line. I understand that there are kills that are justified and that one mistake could be the last one a cop could ever make. Nevertheless, it is one thing to defend a cop who had no choice but to hurt or even kill someone as a last resort to keep the people and his or herself safe, and it is another to defend a cop who overreacts out of racism and fear, and proceeded to kill a man as their first option. Let’s examine what I mean by that.

First let us take Alton Sterling, who was pinned to the ground by two cops, belly down on the floor. Yes, Alton had a shady history, and yes, he had a gun he was not allowed to have in his pocket, thus the officers must take great caution. However, according to the videos, the officers saw a gun that Alton did not even have in his hand and proceeded to shoot him several times. After the first round of shots, another round of shots was fired. No ambulance or first aid was requested or used. First, yes Alton was struggling, but he did not pose a threat and he was locked down. Second, why was another round of shots fired when surely a few shots at almost point blank would have done the job? Third, considering Alton’s position when he was on the ground, why would he decide to throw out his life and attempt to pull a gun on two policemen who had him heavily secured. He had no hope, why would any human being with a family throw their life out that way? The gun was the first response from the officers when it should have been the last.

Philando Castile’s death is an even more convincing case of the aforementioned fear of blacks. Mr. Castile was pulled over with his girlfriend in the driver’s seat. Castile was asked to take out his driver’s license. Taking precautions, he told the officer that he had a registered, legal gun in the car so the officer would know. Reaching for his license as requested, the officer shot Mr. Castile, claiming that he went to reach for the gun. Even with caution and adherence to the second amendment, Philando faced the same fate as many of his other brethren. His girlfriend recorded the entire incident, watching her boyfriend die for following an officer’s directions.

The lesser known case of Delrawn Small may be the most convincing case of all. According to video and reports, he was cut off in traffic by a police officer. He pulled over to the side where the officer was in order to confront him about it, completely unarmed. Seeing, Mr. Small approach him, the officer immediately shot and killed him without hesitation assuming that he was a threat.

These three cases are prime examples that racism is prevalent among law enforcement and action must be taken to prevent it. Defending cops like these is what instills hate towards the police in the common man. Killing a black man is not the crime; in a life or death situation in which he could cause harm onto others, it is justified as a last resort. But rather than carefully approaching these men, understanding that they are human as well, these officers immediately shot them because they were perceived as threats, more likely than not because they were black.

A common defense I hear is that cops responsible are not racist, but were rather eliminating a potent threat. That is false. A black teenager is 21 times more likely to get shot than a white teenager. NewRepublic.com also cites a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology where virtual shooting simulation was used and found that undergraduate students are much more likely to shoot an unarmed black man than a white man; with professional cops, the numbers of course decreased but the rates of shooting unarmed black individuals was still higher. So eliminating a potent threat cannot always be used as an excuse, especially if that level of force is not justified in the situation; the numbers are clear and show that the black community is by far the most targeted.

There is clear proof that institutional racism exists, but to elaborate further on the topic we should examine the difference between active and passive racism. Active racism involves deliberately speaking or doing ill against another race. Passive racism deals more with hiding negative perceptions against another race and allowing ill to happen to them, or it can also refer to the subconscious bias we have to another race, such that we would take more caution around a black man than a white man under the same circumstances. Thus, the officers that commit these hate acts or shootings in unjustified situation may be channeling active racism or even passive racism in which they are treating black people with a great deal more caution than they would a white man in the same circumstances.

Let’s be clear, I am not attacking cops in saying this. But these are real matters and numbers to be fearful of. Cops must be unafraid to criticize other cops. Advocating for a positive change within in the system is the best way of doing so. Let us understand that these biases and issues exist, and find ways to stop them. Let’s advocate for more racial and cultural exercises in training as well as a great emphasis on using one’s gun as a last resort rather than a tool to kill a human being before a threat is even apparent. The job of an officer is to keep the peace, understanding the danger of the line of work; to eliminate people perceived as a threat in this way is not part of the job description and cannot be tolerated. Accidents happen, but with numbers as high as these, it is time we make the necessary changes.

What I propose is a mutual understanding between groups and an allegiance as well. Being a part of Black Lives Matter is critical, but it also means you care for the lives of others and want equal respect, that includes the cops. Being an officer means taking an oath to protect the people. In that effort they must all stand with Black Lives Matter and fix the apparent issues within the system. A house divided cannot stand; it never has and never will. Let’s stand together.