In the hours following a maniacal terrorist opening fire on police officers in Dallas, TX, the city was effectively shut down in order to protect its citizens.
While protecting a group of Black Lives Matter activists who were protesting the shooting deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, five police officers were killed and at least seven were wounded by a man now identified as Micah X. Johnson — a 25-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve.
Johnson reportedly claimed that he was upset about the how the Black Lives Matter movement was being treated and looked to murder white people — specifically white police officers — in retaliation.
While the attack took place, downtown Dallas was thrown into chaos. Both police officers and protesters alike struggled to determine exactly what was going on and how to react to the situation — protecting themselves and others. The Dallas Police Department bravely defended those who were on the streets and far too many of them lost their lives as a result.
That’s one of the most frightening revelations about this generally horrific situation. It proves that during acts of terror, cities have the tendency to be shut down and become full-fledged war-zones.
It’s something that no human being should ever have to experience, but it’s of extreme importance that all American citizens are prepared for these kinds of events. It’s no longer a matter of whether or not we should have to be prepared but more so an acceptance that we simply must be.
These are uncertain, dangerous times where tension is at an all-time high and everyone in the country seems to have long since reached their boiling point. We must stick together and promote peaceful solutions instead of perpetrating more violence, murder and death. There are ways to solve the issues we’re currently facing as a nation. Those ways do not involve more bloodshed.
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