[dropcap]L[/dropcap]et’s not allow the media to claim that this is a ‘race war.’

Referring to it as a war tells us that we should take sides and be divided; that at the end of the day, one side must win. Black people are not systematically aiming to kill white people. There is no ‘black side’ and there is no ‘white side.’

After five police officers were killed in Dallas, the New York Post published a headline in bold letters saying “Civil War,” and a smaller caption that read, “Four cops killed at anti-police protest.” Following the Dallas shooting, social media blew up with the trending hashtag #BlueLivesMatter, in support of the police officers.

The Blue Lives Matter movement assumes that police officers in America are disparaged and discriminated against. Blue Lives Matter may be meant to defend the importance of police officers, but it’s a useless movement — America has already made it clear that they matter through the power they are afforded in society.

Let me make myself very clear: what happened in Dallas was certainly not OK. I, too, send my condolences and prayers to those who lost their loved ones a couple weeks back. Micah Johnson, an African-American veteran, decided to shoot the police officers because he was angry and fed up with watching other African-Americans being killed by police with impunity.

Regardless of his reasoning, he should not have done what he did. He was legally killed by the state, end of story. However, the people responsible for the unnecessary deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and so many others, have not been given proper punishment. In fact, the cop who murdered Castile in his car was then sent on paid administrative leave.

Yes, police officers’ lives matter, but their killer is now dead. The ones who take black lives essentially get sent on vacation. The Blue Lives Matter trend has been proliferating on social media even though an officer is only “blue” for up to 40 hours a week; a black person is black 24/7.

People are bothered by Black Lives Matter because it’s not inclusive of “all lives.” Yet, when people support Blue Lives Matter, the All Lives Matter people remain silent. All Lives Matter is used to derail the Black Lives Matter conversation, so why wouldn’t they oppose Blue Lives Matter, too? Where are the All Jobs Matter protesters?

I do not support Blue Lives Matter because America has made it clear whose lives already matter. After Dallas the world mourned over the lost blue lives, yet when blue lives take black lives, it seems no one sheds a tear.

#BlackLivesMatter seeks to protect black lives, while #BlueLivesMatter seeks to shield the guilty.