This morning, it was the first thing I saw when I went on the Internet: Five Dallas police officers had been shot to death Thursday night as they provided security during a march against the police shooting deaths in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and St. Paul, Minnesota.
It made me sick.
Yes, I am sick. More specifically, I am sick of guns, and for more reasons than I can even count anymore.
I am sick of deferring to the paranoia of those who believe they must arm themselves like militia against an impending attack by their own government, as if hunkering down in their basements with a semi-automatic would be any defense against a drone strike that could vaporize them before they were even aware of a threat.
I am sick of the pathetic rationalization of officer-involved shooting deaths by saying the victims should have simply complied, but never suggest those who died at Ruby Ridge or Waco are at all culpable because they didn’t simply comply.
I am sick, no — I am appalled — that when a police officer shoots someone, we must debate about whether it was “a good kill.”
I’m sick of the undertone of racism in a country where a white man packing a .45 on his belt in Walmart is considered a “Patriotic American defending his Liberties” while a black man with a 9mm in the glove compartment of his car is considered a cold-blooded murderer.
I am sick of a police culture that defends the worst officers, which only endangers hundreds of thousands of fair, decent officers and erodes the peoples’ trust in those we rely on to “serve and protect.”
I am sick, too, of those who view law enforcement officers as enemies and slaughter them while they protect protesters in Dallas.
I am sick of the NRA and the gun industry that uses its influence to delude, deceive and misinform thousands of peaceful gun owners while corrupting politicians to the point where they feel no pangs of conscience.
I am sick of the ridiculous argument that what is needed to combat gun violence is more guns, especially when there are almost as many guns in our country as there are people. It is a ludicrous argument. No one drowns in the Sahara.
I am sick of the twisted distortion of the Second Amendment, which since an infamous 2008 Supreme Court ruling says, in America, anyone, anywhere, can purchase any kind of a gun for any reason and carry that gun anywhere they choose.
I am sick of a Congress that can launch an investigation into an email in a moment’s notice, but will not even have a conversation about the gun slaughter we see on an almost daily basis now.
I am sick of Andy Gipson, a Mississippi pastor and state legislator whose devotion to guns is far greater than his devotion to Christ, and I am sick of his fellow legislators who pass his bills and a governor who signs them into law.
I am sick that police officers, school children, movie-goers and nightclub crowds are laid on the altar of the gun.
When the sanctity of the gun is greater than the sanctity of human life, it makes me sick.
Yeah, I’m sick of guns.
How about you?
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
