Disagreeing without being violently disgreeable

"I think we have got to learn to disagree without being violently disagreeable..." Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said it best: Words matter at this time.

Whether you're black, white, a police officer or a civilian, people's emotions are running the gamut from frustration and rage to angst and a deep sadness in the wake of fatal shootings in Minnesota, Louisiana and Dallas in recent days. The natural inclination may be to speak out and perhaps even act out in response to those feelings.

But we have to be mindful that words matter.

Our police officers need to know that we are behind them right now. These brave men and women risk their lives daily to keep us safe and they deserve 100 percent of our support, our respect and our prayers during this very difficult and troubling time.

So too does the African-American community. Both groups have suffered immense and unspeakable losses. We cannot let the cowardly and unconscionable actions of a very few become an indictment of either group. Nor can we let the national narrative on police and race relations drown out the reality on the ground, which, in Cincinnati as in Dallas, is more nuanced and positive.

Words matter.

Words contain the power of life and death. They can wound, they can alienate, and they can make people feel not heard. We strongly urge everyone, particularly our elected officials, to weigh their words before speaking or engaging others on social media. The cavalier use of language – disguised as a rejection of "political correctness" – in part has brought us to this point.

And this point is a pivotal one for America, a fork in the road that can either lead to peace and unity or more suffering and divisiveness. Are we going to continue to fling angry, hateful words at each other? Or are we going to bridle our tongues and loosen our grip on our own preconceived notions about one another? Will we be slow to speak and quick to listen to those who are "other"? Each of us has a decision to make, to take the road less traveled by. And what we choose will make all the difference for the future of our nation. The stakes couldn't be higher.

Words matter, especially now.

The blame for what happened Thursday in Dallas rests squarely on the shoulders of those who perpetrated it. No one is responsible for their actions except the killers. Much like the shooting rampage that took 49 lives at a gay nightclub in Orlando or the fatal shooting of nine worshipers at a black church in South Carolina, hate was the primary motivator behind a sniper shooting that took the lives of five police officers in Dallas and wounded seven others. It's important that we stop pointing fingers and place the personal responsibility where it belongs.

The words spoken by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. over four decades ago are perhaps as relevant now as they were then.

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. ... Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Words matter.

We hope you will heed ours. Respect the police. Respect each other. Reject hate. Spread love.