The murder of two New York Police Officers by a seriously mentally ill man must not be seen as an incident in isolation. This is what happens when, as a society, we decide:

1. To fail to fully fund mental health care.
2. To fail to make justice for ALL people a priority.
3. To pander to the rich at the expense of social programs.
4. To fail to train police officers in dealing with the severely mentally ill.
5. To fail to place restrictions on the use of force in our society.
6. To fail to promote non-violence as the only effective social change agent.
7. To allow politicians to sell out to the highest bidder.
8. To sell guns at pawn shops.
9. To sell guns without psychiatric background checks.

This is what happens when, as a society, we decide:

1. To say that some lives matter more than others, no matter whose lives they are. The truth is not that black lives matter, or white lives matter, or police lives matter, but rather that ALL lives matter.
2. To allow police unions to protect guilty officers for so long that deranged people eventually will lash out at any police officer.
3. To fail to fix a corrupt and broken Grand Jury system.
4. To fail to teach and understand Constitutional Rights and Civil Rights.
5. To advance imperialistic objectives overseas at the expense of domestic programs.

None of this blames the victims, in fact quite the opposite – it blames each and every one of us. Frustrated people lash out violently.