I get on CNN now, and it’s like our world has gone to s**t (pardon my French). People say “our country isn’t divided,” but yes, it is. Have you seen the news?

The brutality of recent events have left me in a difficult place. They bring to my mind the cycle of violence in our world that is worsening with each day. Time and time again, attacks after attacks are forgotten until the next ones occur, whether they be religious attacks, LGBT hate crimes, war crimes or acts of police brutality (I could keep going…).

It all leads me to question, what can I, Erin Duffy, do? What can I, a single individual among billions, do to change the way the world and society perceive humanity in its differences?

I could write a strongly worded letter and post it on Facebook (kind of like what I’m doing with this article); I could share incendiary posts and videos that express my personal opinions and shoot down any and all other thoughts; I could act out against those who don’t share my own beliefs but none of these seem adequate. So again I ask myself, what do I do?

I’m going to talk about the recent acts of police brutality that have been receiving national attention to try to convey my point.

To start, I refuse to post all of the different hashtags or talk about which lives matter and which lives don’t. I’m not belittling the obvious racism that is deeply entrenched in America’s political, social, and economic spheres. And I’m not ignoring the recent acts of police brutality, the murders, or the protests. These crimes deserve justice and recognition for what they were and are. What I’m trying to do is look at the deeper social issue, rather than being blinded by anger at these, and all other, injustices, only to have this anger subside until its next catalyst.

I’d like to think all lives matter. I understand that someone who posts #BlackLivesMatter isn’t claiming that other lives don’t and I understand that someone who shares #BlueLivesMatter isn't necessarily claiming black lives don't. However, I find it hard to take a side in this situation. What there needs to be is a unification under the idea that life is something to be respected and that humanity is diverse and ever-changing. This seems to be a concept that isn’t easily grasped which, given the horrendous events that continuously occur in our current society, is justified. Life isn’t pretty rainbows and unicorns, but there should be a fundamental respect for another human being.

I know that everyone was raised differently, whether religiously, ethnically, culturally, or whatever else it may be. I also know that it’s each individual’s constitutional right to express his or her opinions. I get that. But since when did this freedom of speech, assembly, to bear arms, etc. give us the freedom to harm other individuals, physically or mentally, based on the different characteristics or features that define us as human beings?

I think my problem with the recent hashtags and protests is the haste with which some individuals are making sweeping generalizations about a certain demographic or occupation. I support #BlackLivesMatter because I truly do believe that racism is entrenched in our nation’s history and continues to be an issue in our society today. Having said that, I support #BlueLivesMatter because my uncle is a cop and I don’t believe that police are the whole of the issue. Does this make me a hypocrite? A walking contradiction?

If you're sharing these, good for you. I'm not telling you not to take a stand for what you believe in but, think about the impact that you want to make. Do more than share an article, hashtag or video.

As long as society discriminatively manifests the racism, white privilege, and hostility that exist, police brutality will continue. This stands for many other violent acts as well. As long as humanity operates under this hatred, the cycle will continue.

It’s time to address the deeper issue. Police brutality and the retaliatory acts are just several examples of the many different cycles of violence that continuously exist in our world, forever going around and around, never changing. What can we do as individuals? It’s a crucial question to ask ourselves.

And, to be honest, I don’t have the answer. I don’t know what to do to stop these violent merry-go-rounds. Maybe I’ll write an article once I figure it out and share it with all of you.