Clergy to North Miami Beach Police Department: All Lives Matter, So #usemeinstead

A friend posted a story up on his Facebook wall that I thought was totally disgusting, but had an amazing ending. 

Picture this: National Guard members show up to use a local firing range in North Miami Beach, FL. They notice that the people using the range before they did--a group of snipers from the North Miami Beach Police Department--didn't take down their targets, all of which are photos of African-American males. One of the Guard noticed that one of the photos is of her own brother. 

Needless to say, people got REALLY upset about this, and I'm right there with them. I certainly was outraged that a police department would do this. (This is likely the reason why many ranges won't even allow targets with heads or faces on them.)

But instead of getting angry, a group of priests decided to strike back in a very unique way: By submitting pictures on Twitter with the hashtag #usemeinstead. 

What I liked in particular was that the photos showcased in the article were of white ministers and priests. No matter who was on those targets, it's offensive, but to see one race or group singled out is totally and completely unacceptable. We expect more from those who enforce our laws. 

It's fantastic to see members of clergy stepping up and using social media to present a strong, positive message loudly and clearly: Black or white, clergy or layperson, all lives matter.