Horrific act of sniper killer of Dallas, USA policemen; My prayers for the policemen

Last modified on 11th July 2016

Micah Johnson, Gunman in Dallas, Honed Military Skills to a Deadly Conclusion, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/10/us/dallas-quiet-after-police-shooting-but-protests-flare-elsewhere.html, dated July 9th 2016.

Ravi: What a horrible act the sniper killer of Dallas policemen did! The above article gives some idea of how he executed his horrible plan.

My prayers to Almighty God to shower His Grace on the brave Dallas, USA policemen who lost their lives, or were injured, while doing their duty to protect residents of their city, including those who were protesting against police brutality elsewhere. Of course, I extend those prayers to the families and friends of these killed or injured Dallas, USA policemen.

It is the police who prevent a community from descending into anarchy where might becomes right. I think this is largely true in the USA, and is true in India too.

Protests against a few bad apples and/or actions in/of the police force should never degenerate into violence against the police by citizens, as the consequences of that for civilized society is simply a breakdown of civilization and laws, and descent into anarchy. That is the brutal truth.

And then there is the danger of legal and peaceful protests against police brutality being hijacked by radical groups (e.g. groups that are into hatred towards whites) who want to use violence as a way to establish their illegal power over an area!

I think in such situations the wise thing is to provide unconditional support to the police till the situation calms down.

Please note that I am an Indian citizen living in India. I wrote this post as an expression of my support to police in the USA where I have spent some time in the past (without ever facing any police harassment whatsoever), and where I currently have some friends and family.
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Given below is a comment exchange from my associated Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1763630883853481 :

Sai Das (USA based correspondent) wrote (slightly edited):
I don't condone murderous actions towards police OR innocent black civilians. The recent killings and violence towards police is a backlash from the continual racist murders some of them have been committing with impunity and should come as no surprise. The innocent cops are paying the price for the bad cops. This problem is not about violent black people, it is about violent racist police culture. If the latter didn't exist, this wouldn't be happening. People get pushed to a breaking point and this sort of thing is a result. It (has) been going on (in) the US since 1965 Watts Riots...New Jersey...LA....
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I (Ravi) responded:
Hmm. Thanks for your valuable view, bro. Sai Das. on this tragic matter. I do hope and pray for effective and fast healing between the police and minorities in the USA.
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What Dallas, USA police officers had to go through physically and emotionally can be felt from this heart-rending account, Max Geron: A Dallas Police officer's account of the downtown ambush, http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20160710-max-geron-a-dallas-police-officer-s-account-of-the-downtown-ambush.ece, dated 10th July 2016.

An extract:
Some got on [Ravi: to buses provided to take people away from the protest venue which became the attack on police venue] and some stayed to hurl insults at officers. One officer later told me "I tried to tell them that we were there to protect them and the guy said, 'Protect us hell! You guys are the targets tonight!' and started laughing."

No matter what happened, we all still had jobs to do, and I saw Dallas officers all over the place continuing to do their jobs. Footage was played and replayed showing officers protecting journalists and demonstrators and downed officers.

Then came the cell phone footage. The shooter could be seen in front of El Centro college with its distinctive concrete pillars on Lamar Street. He was moving and shooting -- ducking behind and re-emerging from the pillars, shooting at officers. Finally you could see one officer working to engage the shooter move behind one of the pillars. However this time, the shooter was advancing on the officer but the officer didn't know it. The officer moved to the right and looked down the right side of the pillar just as the shooter rounded the left side of the pillar and from a couple of feet away, shot the officer with an assault rifle. Then he stood over him and executed him by shooting him in the head.

All of us in the command post visibly recoiled at that sight. It was the stuff of flash picture memories -- the kind you have when you can tell someone where you were when men landed on the moon, when the you learned that the Challenger space craft exploded or any other incredibly significant event in your life occurs. In that instant it was indelibly burned into our brains.

Back to work.

---- end extract ---

Ravi: I saw that video yesterday. It was horrifying to see such an event play out in a major city in the USA, with the madman killer bent on executing policemen!

Another extract:

Upon learning Lorne was among those killed, we all knew we had watched his death shortly before. He was the officer behind the pillar who was ambushed and shot before he could react. He was one trying to protect our freedom to peaceably assemble and was summarily executed for doing so.
--- end extract ---

Ravi: I think all right thinking USA citizens and residents must utterly condemn the actions of the madman killer, and extend full support to USA police, at this time of great tragedy. Of course, I totally condemn these actions of the madman killer.

[I thank dallasnews.com and Dallas, USA police officer Max Geron, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their article/website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]