Dallas 2016

I wish I had something original or insightful to say about the sniper attack on police in Dallas.

But until we get some more complete reporting on who was involved, I can't think of much to say.

Claire Cardona reports on the incident in 11 officers shot, 4 dead, 1 person in custody after shots fired during downtown Dallas rally 07/08/2016. The mayor of Dallas showed that he considers not only that police lives matter but that slain or even wounded policemen should be treated with reverence approaching that a devout Catholic would express toward a saint:

"It's a heartbreaking moment for the city of Dallas," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said.

"I ask everybody focus on one thing right now and that is Dallas police officers, their families, those that are deceased, those that are in the hospital fighting for their lives," Rawlings said. "Lets all come together and support. ... I've never been as proud."

I know a lot of people will be quick to treat anything other than worshipful adoration for the police who were victims is "giving the terrorists what they want," or whatever.

And I have no problem with what Mayor Rawlings said in that statement. I have no reason to think it was anything other than heartfelt. And it was certainly appropriate to the situation.

Still, it's a fact of our national life that we are unlikely any time soon to hear a mayor of a major city deliver a public pronouncement like that the day after an unarmed black person is shot to death by police under even the most dubious circumstances.

For many white people in America in 2016, some lives do matter more than others. And black lives are usually those on the bottom of the list.