Irony: Rash of recent violence must not discourage us

It is ironic that on the same day that a peace walk was held in Goldsboro that three homicides occurred in Wayne County within the span of just 12 hours.

We have been observing the local scene for many years, but we have never witnessed so many violent deaths in so short a span of time.

Violence has always been present in the American culture. But it has never been so documented and broadcast as it is nowadays. That gives people the impression that the times have never been more violent.

Whether that is true or not is debatable, but the fact that there is too much violent crime is not. We see and hear about it on a daily basis, creating a numbness that is in itself dangerous.

What can we do about it? It seems as though all our efforts to reduce the crime rate are futile.

But we cannot give up. It is our obligation to combat violence every way we can, whether it is through peaceful demonstrations like the one held Friday in downtown Goldsboro or by other means, such as simply supporting our police and sheriff's office in every way we can. It is a battle we must continue to wage, whether it seems winnable or not. It is our duty as citizens.

Published in Editorials on July 25, 2016 11:53 AM