Happy 240th birthday, America! Alton Sterling was shot and killed by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling carried a gun for his protection. The officers tackled him. Was he resisting? Was Sterling reaching for his gun? Why didn’t police use pepper spray if a stun gun didn’t work?

Near St. Paul, Minnesota a traffic stop becomes a deadly miscalculation where Orlando Castille was shot and killed. Castille had a permit for his firearm. Was he only reaching for his identification? Was the officer paranoid or tweaked out on an energy drink? Was Orlando moving too fast?

Then a sniper in protest shoots 12 police officers in Dallas, Texas, killing 5.

The racially motivated media enlightened the public of these dreadful circumstances and raised opinions to the breaking point. It’s all a sham. There are 327 million people in the nation and as many guns.

The Second Amendment gives us the right to carry while the First Amendment gives us the freedom of speech that often feeds racial tension. Freedom is costly. The Civil War ended 151 years ago, but we still have a long way to go. The media magnifies racial tensions, sometimes leading to violence.

Thank God, we still have hope.

Steven A. Birt

Groton