Last night while I was meeting with my critique group…a 25-year-old gunman was setting up his perch in a downtown Dallas building. Ironically the building was part of a community college, a place of learning and expanding young minds.

Last night while I was driving home…the young man pointed a high-powered weapon down a busy city street. Ironically that street is only a few blocks from where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and ironically it’s the same street where a peaceful protest (organized to call attention to the proliferation of police-involved shootings/murders of black men) was winding down.

Last night while I slept…the Army veteran shot and murdered five police officers and wounded seven additional officers and two civilians. Ironically our government trained him on the use of weapons and gave him the opportunity to perfect his training by sending him to the battlegrounds in Afghanistan.

Early this morning…the murderer was killed, blown to pieces by a special delivery bomb. Ironically his motives for killing (hate, anger, frustration, arrogance, fear, injustice) remain solidly intact and are shared by many—black, white, yellow, brown and others.

Later today…the hate will continue. The killings will continue. The violence will continue. The country will remain dysfunctional and divided. UNLESS…all people are seen as individuals. Unless all people are seen as equals. Unless all people are free. And UNTIL racism is rooted out of every system, institution, policy and practice, and until hate is replaced by love.