Every human life has value. That’s what we must constantly remind ourselves – every human life has value. If that human is a child, that individual’s life has value. If the human is a senior citizen, that life has value. If the human is African-American, that person’s life has value. If the human is a police officer, that life has value.
The problem is many people around this world do not value human life. We think if a person is different than us or if their perspective contradicts ours, then somehow they are not worthy or as good as us. In such instances, we oftentimes judge people and treat them in an unfair manner.
A lot of the recent incidents involving police officers and African-American men are good examples of such judgment. But the wrongdoings don’t stop there. Since there is such heated debate and raw emotions surrounding what many people, regardless of ethnicity, feel are blatant discriminatory practices toward Blacks, tensions are incredibly high. When tensions are high the probability of chaotic and unjust situations occurring increases tremendously.
This weekend’s brutal killing of two NYPD police officers as they sat in their patrol car is evidence of what happens when tensions are high and people behave inappropriately.
The shooting deaths of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were unfair and flat-out wrong, but I while I am saddened, I cannot say that I was surprised.
Tension in this country seems to be the highest it has been since the Civil Rights era. But that tension isn’t solely related to race, there is also a socioeconomic tension that exists in this country as well as a tremendous political tension that started at the top with members of Congress and has trickled down to the local level in cities throughout the country.
So, why is tension so high in this country?
The answer has a multitude of layers, but at its core I think the problem is people have ignored the one component that binds us together and makes us all the same: the fact that we are all human beings first — anything else should be secondary.
We are all human beings and because of that, at our core, we are one. If we stopped compartmentalizing people based on their race, financial status or even their gender, this world would be a heck of a lot better and far less violent.
This week is Christmas. It’s a time to rejoice with family and friends, but also a time to remember the birth of our savior.
I wanted to write something positive and uplifting in my editorial this week, but I also realized sometimes society dictates news and commentary. We are in dark, heavy times right now and it doesn’t seem as if we will get out of them anytime soon. While my words this week may not be light and cheery, they can be reflective.
Jesus loves us all and looks at us as his children. Wouldn’t it be great if we looked at one another in the loving way that Christ looks at us? Wouldn’t it be a blessing to treat one another in a manner consistent to the example Jesus gives us daily?
My plea is for us to simply be kinder to one another and to regard the life of others. We have become a mean-spirited world that acts on the negative thoughts inside our heads. Something has got to change and perhaps that change is by helping others to adopt a more positive thought process, thus eventually changing their behavior. Such efforts certainly could not hurt.
We are all works in progress. The thing to remember is the progression part. We have to constantly work toward being better individuals as well as helping others become better people. Eventually — which will probably be longer than any of us desire — things will improve. Things must improve. Our lives depend on it.
