When a child loses his parents, society labels him an orphan. When a woman loses her life partner, she is considered a widow.

But what do you call a generation of people who have lost a mirror reflection of themselves as they continually see lives lost due to violence related to lethal weapons (guns, knives, fists, etc.)? They are not called anything. They essentially have to hold a grip onto reality and pick up the fragile pieces that have been shattered on America's pavement and move forward.

This daunting task of picking up the pieces hurts until it happens so much, you essentially become numb to the pain. The pain that once broke your heart just doesn't seem to give you the lows as it did before.

It's as though this is just an ordinary day — a day of senseless violence and of inaction by both government and people who do not want to call a spade a spade. It is as though calling the action by what it really is (terrorism) will somehow unhinge the door that holds the opening to our promise as citizens of this nation.

As a future physician who welcomes working with communities and groups from all backgrounds, I cannot sit here comfortably and not speak up for the rights of human beings.

Why does a call for justice frighten you and make you feel as though you cannot side with justice? Is it guilt knowing that somehow, though you want us to be united, that you quickly remember you live in a segregated pocket and the only time you see someone of color is when you get your latte at Starbucks before going to work?

I write today not to evoke applause from some who may agree, nor to receive backlash from those who fail to understand the point of my essay. I simply am here to tell an unrelenting truth in hopes that we can acknowledge the systemic racism that is plaguing our society.

However, to act as though this is something new clearly speaks to your inability to open your eyes and see beyond your lens. This has been happening since before I came to existence, and sadly it might happen after I am gone from this Earth.

Because of those who hear "black lives matter" and assume we are saying "only black lives matter," no reasonable conversation can be made. You have already extinguished the spark that would have created a flame to allow the world to look at our issues and see the injustices that plague our society.

Unarmed black people being disproportionately shot by the police should not be met with talks about "blue lives matter," for police are not disproportionately killed by citizens. At some point, I truly wonder if it is really worth trying to explain our grievances when you don't even want to listen to our plight.

And, yes, I acknowledge that white individuals (as well as Latinos, LGBTQI, Asians, Native Americans, etc.) are also affected by police brutality and can join us in our fight to create accountability for the police. However, to not even stand with us and say there should be no oversight into the injustices that are happening today speaks to how color blind (or indifferent due to our gender, religion, political leanings) America still is.

The psychological constraints of black and brown folk are so traumatizing that being black can ultimately feel as though by our mere existence has been criminalized. When you turn on the media and hear former police officers state that black people essentially have a character trait that predisposes them to criminality is preposterous.

Yes, there are many black people in prisons, and it is true that statistics show black people kill black people at a rate of approximately 90 percent. But can we also acknowledge the fact that whites kill whites at a rate of 82 percent? Can we also acknowledge that most violent crimes are committed by white individuals?

Why are all these statistics thrown out without delving into further intellectual discussions about what is "crime," who perceives "crime," and what systemic issues (influenced by political and economic biases that benefit lawmakers) create the conditions that allow some communities to be treated as criminals?

The history of marijuana criminalization in this country to target people of color and people who have a different political leaning is a perfect example of what happens when those who have the power and influence use their platforms to create negative stereotypes. These ideas seep deep into the consciousness of many well-intended people to create the vitriolic narratives that plague our country today — which to some extent is a larger reason why some will not stand with communities of color to protect their inalienable rights as citizens.

These are the types of discussions that are necessary to make sure we not only create better policies that protect all citizens, but also to actually take a step forward instead of sitting down doing nothing. We cannot inherently state "all lives matter" when we see rampant child poverty, killings of LGBTQI youth, increased production of the prison and military industrial complex, and more than 40 million Americans without access to healthcare due to not having health insurance.

America is a great nation, and I am proud of the positive things we have done not only home, but also abroad. However, to not hold our actions (or inaction) to the fire is to not care about bettering our nation.

Let us today create better dialogue that can push the conversation to do more. Let us all listen to and understand one another instead of glorifying political rhetoric that speaks of building a great wall. Let us ramp up the notion of possibly building bridges that can create a better world for all of us.

It is not only our duty, it is our promise. After all, it is the American way to push for a more perfect union.