This past week has been one of the saddest weeks in America. My heart aches to see this much hate around us. There comes a time when we need to stand up and say enough is enough. Last week, the country was shocked by two horrific, unjustified murders, and on top of that, the police protest in Dallas that turned deadly is now known as the deadliest attack on police force since 9/11.
Why do we fear that terrorists are are the biggest threat to us when all that happened in the past week had nothing to do with terrorism? The sad thing about all of this is that these headlines of the innocent deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota isn’t the first time similar headlines have streamed across America. My heart aches to see our own people killing one another, when we should all be living in peace and not in corruption. As anger, frustrations and injustice tear our country apart, it is not only startling, but terrifying, too.
Last week while I was scrolling through Twitter per usual, a particular tweet caught my eye: “#PrayForAmerica.” And I just stared at that tweet. We have seen tweets such as “#PrayforParis” after the terrorist attack in November, we have seen “#PrayforOrlando” after the gay night club shooting, we have seen “#PrayforBaghdad” after an explosion attack. But “#PrayForAmerica” left me in disbelief, because all of the others had one thing in common, that it was all due to an act of terrorism. But that is not what happened last week in America, instead it was our own killing our own.
It is 2016 and we still live in a world full of stereotypes instead of breaking stereotypes. Just because one police officer is corrupt does not mean all police officers are corrupt. Just because one Asian robbed a bank does not mean all Asians are robbers. Just because one doctor did malpractice does not mean all doctors practice malpractice. Just because one Muslim is a terrorist does not make all Muslims terrorists. Just because one black man shot a guy does not make all black men shooters. Just because one white guy raped someone does not make all white men rapists. Just because one Mexican is here illegally does not make all Mexicans illegal. These are all just few of the many stereotypes that live in our society and regardless of everyone’s race, religion, occupation, culture or class, we need to understand we are all humans.
Why is there so much hatred in the world? Why are we killing our own for no reason at all? We are all humans. Two wrongs don’t make a right. We are at a point where things are getting worse before they can get better. If we keep fighting for what’s right, then maybe one day we will get there, but until then, all we can do is keep on trying.
There is so much good that just keeps on getting shut down by all the bad happening in this world, but if we just focus on the good, then one day, just one day, we would be able to live in a world where things are way better than they are today. I hope and pray that one day we live in a world where, together as a country and as a world, we can move beyond looking at people’s race, color, religion and class and see what’s more important, and that is that we are all humans.
