Dallas shooting victims deserve respect
President Barack Obama recently said “whites and people of color experience the criminal justice system differently,” challenging Americans to fight the injustice–at the memorial service for the five officers killed in the Dallas Police Department protest. Many people are posting on social media outlets arguing for or against Obama’s speech, but few people are talking about the central subject of the debate: the people involved.
Americans can always exercise their right to free speech, but that does not mean they always should. Five people were killed serving the United States, and no one, including the President, should use their deaths as a political platform or Facebook rant topic. Their sacrifice demands our respect.
As President, Obama reserves the right to speak out on controversial political topics and is frequently asked to do so. His job includes keeping Americans informed about foreign affairs and domestic policy. However, in the instance of the memorial service in Dallas, his job was not to banter about politics, but to eulogize the officers who died serving others. The problem with his speech was not the side he took, but the fact that he took a side at all.
Some people possess the sickening mentality that it does not matter how they talk about people who have died. The media still criticizes Nancy Reagan and Joe Paterno. This is wrong, not only because of the humanity of the subjects of disrespect, but also because of the friends and families who lost loved ones. Yet people have the audacity to write blogs and Facebook posts in the faces of those who have lost loved ones and essentially say they deserved to die because they did not do their jobs well enough. The people who killed those officers are not the only ones inflicting permanent damage on law enforcement officials and their families.
Americans celebrate the right to express their opinions and feelings openly, but one who expresses the “wrong” opinion or feeling is immediately shut down by the opposition. People cannot seem to decide if Black lives or Blue lives matter more. Does it matter? The lives no one can seem to prioritize in an order everyone agrees with are being taken, and people hardly even take a breath to mourn them before they resort to shouting at each other. People take up their keyboards to defend and offend people without ever acknowledging those they speak out for and against are in fact people who can and do make an impact on the world no matter what Facebook says about them.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and there are times and places to share them. There are also times and places to keep them quiet, let go of the senseless need to be right and sound smart all the time, and take a moment to thank the families impacted by tragedy by saying the words, “thank you,” or by not saying any words at all. On that note, to those who lost loved ones in Dallas, for loving those who serve us: Thank you.
Hey! My name is Callie Boren, and I am Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Eagle’s Tale. This is my third and final year on staff. I am also the National Honor Society president, senior class president, an officer in the Chamber Choir, and a member of the UIL...
Stephan Miller • Jul 13, 2016 at 10:36 pm
Your words of thanks are appreciated but the fact that you consider there are “sides” to take in this tragedy makes you part of the problem. There are not sides! There are simply facts! Period! As a family member of one of the officers who lost his life during this tragedy I say to you that you have a lot of nerve dictating the words that should have been spoken at his memorial. My cousin died because of racism in our country and if a speech by President Obama or anyone else can bring awareness and change to the situation it is a very good thing!
Callie Boren • Jul 21, 2016 at 6:09 pm
I am truly, deeply sorry my work made you feel this way. My intention in writing it was to convey exactly what you said: that there are no sides in this tragedy, only loss and hurt. My goal in writing it was to offer my support to people who have been hurt by social media posts regarding the tragedy from one “side” or another. Secondly, I completely agree that speech brings about change, but I wanted to express that sometimes people are reckless with their speech, and this only causes enmity and hurt. In line with what I wrote, I do thank you for your response, but I also ask you to remember that on the other side of another computer screen, there is a human being who can be hurt by what you say. I will try to remember this in my writing in the future. I appreciate your thoughts and I hope they will bring awareness to others as they have brought awareness to me. Thank you.