He was a father

A husband

A lover

A friend

A cousin

An uncle

A brother

A son

A person

He was loved by someone

Someone was hoping he’d make it home safe

Someone prayed for him consistently

He mattered to someone

He was important to someone

And yet

Here we are again 

In this endless cycle

Caused by your hate

Your envy

Your FEAR

Your prejudice

Your insecurities

Because you felt it was within your power

You felt it was within your right

To take a life 

To cause hurt

To cause outrage

You felt yourself above the law

But you’re not

You thought you were human

But you’re less than human