Firearms Friday: What Happened To Equal Rights?

The news inundating the internet, overwhelming social media, filling the television screen, and flooding newspapers this week is horrifying. I say this not in reference to the officer involved shooting in Baton Rouge but with regard to the events that have transpired since that incident. Despite what we may think we see in the videos from that interaction, we don’t know exactly what happened and we won’t know until a full investigation is conducted. It may or may not have been justified, we just don’t know. That being said, I am still stuck on the simple question of if the known felon in question was white or Hispanic, would the county be in such an uproar? After all, white lives matter too.

That moment has triggered a resurgence in both peaceful protests as well as barbaric violence. People have the right to peacefully assemble in protest of what happened and I will continue to support that right (I would appreciate it if you would support my rights as well for a change). However, the rallying cries echoing from those masses are rather disturbing. It is true that black lives matter but so do the lives of everyone else. By focusing on the importance of black lives above all others is what incites some to commit violence and take the lives of those they deem less worthy to live.  

Now with the assassinations that transpired last night in Dallas, it is even more important that we focus on the rights of ALL people not just those who are of a certain race or occupation. Unfortunately, this will likely not be the resulting shift in mentality. After all, they have been nearly 60 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty so far this year and I have yet to see the people take to the street en masse like they have for the black lives lost. After all, blue lives matter too.

In the end, like many crimes committed in this country, there are many people (of all races but usually of one political party) that will place the blame of said acts on anyone but the individual responsible for what transpired. This ‘guilty’ verdict is usually handed down almost instantaneously. In this instance, as soon as the shooting happened, Law Enforcement as a whole was to blame when, in actuality, we don’t know which individual is to blame in this situation.

But personal responsibility and accountability are passé concepts for many these days. And what is more frightening, is that it seems as though the concept of equal rights, on life support for so long, is now dead. Value your own life, celebrate the joys in your live, and accept responsibility for your own mistakes… this is how we should all live our lives rather than always blaming someone else for the things that go wrong in our lives. Don’t blame white people, black people, gay people, straight people, immigrants, law enforcement, gun owners, or those of a particular faith. Value life… value all life!

Not Such A Wonderful Life

Once again things are getting out of hand in another major urban area in the country. Last year we watched Ferguson get flipped upside down and now we are watching Baltimore burn. In each instance a rush to judgement, a rush to convict local law enforcement, fueled a rage within those communities resulting in the destruction of their own home and the disruption of life across the country.

These are just the most prominent instances when the community has rallied around the untimely death of a frequent felon. That’s right, I said it. When one looks at the records of the men who were killed in each of these instances you will find a long criminal record casting a shadow over the events that lead to their ultimate demise.

Could law enforcement handled things differently in each of these cases? Most definitely. Would the outcome have been different? There is no guarantee that it would have been any different or that the results would have been worse. Would there have been riots in the streets had the police officer been the one shot? I don’t think so.

No one in the streets is interested in hearing both sides of the story. They are only seeing one possible scenario, the one that fits into their own racist views, the cops are out to kill “black men”. Truth be told… black lives matter, white lives matter, blue lives matter, all lives matter. Don’t assign sainthood on someone just because it fits your agenda. Don’t use the loss of life as an excuse to destroy your own community.

Every time an alarm rings an "angel" gets his bling. That is the real modern twist on a classic. This isn’t such a wonderful life.

As for those who are taking to the streets to protest… anyone who participates in these riots or vandalism should be arrested. I’m not talking about those who are peacefully doing so… you may be misguided and annoying but you are certainly within your right to do so. I’m talking about those who insist on destroying property, harass people passing by, and shut down streets in major cities by recklessly blocking all the lanes. Arrest them all.

However, the most important thing that all of the people out there who are upset about what is going on should remember is that what you are doing now and how you are going about it will not bring about the change you are looking for. If you want your community to improve, your situation to change, law enforcement to act differently do something about it and get involved. Don’t just walk around screaming and throwing stones. Get a job, volunteer to help the community, go to school, run for office, or, better yet, become a police officer. Stop destroying the world and make an effort to improve it!