We Have To Do Better

One of the best responses to the horrific shootings in Dallas came from former congresswoman Gabby Giffords (who was herself a victim of gun violence). She wrote this on her Facebook page:

This morning, Americans woke to reports of carnage on the streets of Dallas. As they worked to protect peaceful citizens demanding justice for killings in Louisiana and Minnesota, five law enforcement officers were set upon with firearms and assassinated.

We don’t know all the facts, but we do know this is a monstrous attack against our law enforcement community and the idea that we can and should come together as Americans to address our shared challenges. Not only was it murder in cold blood; it was a vicious attempt to divide us, and it will fail.

It is also another sad reminder that our nation remains in the grips of a gun violence crisis that touches every community and everyone - those who wear the uniform, and those who do not. This is not the America we strive for. We have to do better, and we can.