America’s soul burns with racial hatred

America woke up this morning counting more dead bodies as a direct result of its never ending racial divide and growing hatred.

This time gun men in Dallas, Texas took up sniper positions to gun down police officers in what seems to be a back-lash to the fatal shootings of two innocent Black men by white officers in the last 48 hrs.

It was no coincidence that the slaughter of five police officers, and six others critically wounded was at a Blacklivesmatter protest around the two killings of Black men - Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

Black and white America knew that something was profoundly wrong, when once Black men can be so readily murdered by police officers who too often shoot first, and ask questions later.

Some may argue that this poisonous retribution-the killing and wounding of 11 officers - was a tragedy waiting to happen.  If the US is not careful the consequences all these killings will not be a people coming together, but rather communities being further divided.

Adding to the incendiary flames was ex-Congressman Joe Walsh who should be arrested for inciting violence, when he tweeted that ‘President Obama and the activists of Black lives matter, should watch themselves because ‘real America will fight back’.

Equally with the likes of Donald Trump running for President, the US has a heady cocktail of racial hatred, an unstrained gun culture, and individuals within law enforcement agencies so removed from Black people they barely see them as human beings. All this within a climate of race inequality which means so many Black life chances barely get past go.

For such an advanced country-it just sent a probe to study Jupiter- in many ways the USA is almost in the dark ages when it comes to basic equality with its own fellow citizens.  That race inequality is its cancer ultimately serves no one black or white.

Simon Woolley