Lately, Lawrence has had several vigils and marches where we all have advocated for peace and for the families who have lost loved ones – victims of domestic violence as well as gangs.
Among the largest marches and vigils held annually we can mention “A Day of Remembrance” held during the month of September honoring the victims of violence in the city of Lawrence and “The Brides’ March”, held in memory of Gladys Ricart, a Dominican immigrant who was murdered on her wedding day by her ex-boyfriend.
Just this year in Lawrence we have had 3 vigils, “Uniting for Peace” during the month of March, motivated by a violent weekend in the city; “Take Back the Night” march through the streets of the city organized by the YWCA during April and the biggest of all, “We are Orlando” in June remembering the victims of the Club Pulse, where 49 people were shot to death.
Fortunately in Lawrence we have not had the problems of other cities where people, mostly blacks, were killed by police, prompting widespread protests. We are confident that justice will be served in each of these cases.
What we do not understand is why our authorities or those who organize vigils have not reacted to the killing of five police officers in Dallas, Texas, by someone who took the law into his own hands in the form of revenge for what some police officers have done recently in Minnesota and Louisiana.
We understand the feelings of those who protest but we must not forget that it is the police who we call when we are in trouble. It is the police that jump into the icy waters of the river to save someone who is drowning regardless of the color of their skin. It is the cop who enters a burning building to save a disabled person that cannot do it by him or herself, regardless of the language spoken.
Should that police officer be white, it does not make him our enemy.
