Americans across the nation have been deeply affected by a series of tragic events: the fatal shootings of two black men by white police officers in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, followed by the assassination of five white officers in Dallas by a black sniper. The shock has reverberated through communities of all races, ages, and backgrounds.
This past week’s devastating headlines have stirred intense emotions among the public. Yet one sentiment stands out above all others—a profound sadness that appears to have gripped the entire country.
Racial intolerance, which many believed had been confined to the history of the 1960s and ’70s—an era marked by urban upheaval and widespread rioting—has reemerged in contemporary America. The cascade of incidents over the past two years, beginning with Ferguson, Missouri, demonstrates that despite 50 years of progress toward racial equality, the nation remains far from fulfilling Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision articulated in his “I Have a Dream” speech: “when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
At a moment when national unity against foreign terrorism should be paramount, Americans find themselves divided—we have met the enemy, and he is us.
The pervasive sadness is deepened by a sense of despair about solutions. Possible reforms exist: enhanced police training, stricter gun control measures to prevent sales of high-powered military assault rifles with armor-piercing ammunition that endanger officers, and increased investment in education and poverty-reduction programs in low-income communities.
Yet fundamentally, we recognize that while such initiatives might ease racial tensions somewhat, they cannot address the core issue: prejudice itself in America.