How to react to the shooting of Botham Shem Jean?

A resident passes flowers at the front door of Botham Shem Jean, who Dallas police say was shot Thursday by Amber Guyger, an off-duty police officer who mistakenly thought her apartment was his, as photographed on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 at the South Side Flats in Dallas, Texas. Guyger was in uniform. Shaban Athuman TNS

This is why we see the protests

A Dallas police officer somehow walks into the wrong apartment, thinks it’s hers and guns down the unarmed black man, Botham Shem Jean, who lives there. (Sept. 11, 1A, “Officer charged, but Jean’s family wants more answers”)

How does that happen?

This officer’s first response when confronting a black man was to shoot him. If he had been in her apartment (he wasn’t), she could have arrested him. She was armed and in uniform.

Nope. She shot him. Dead.

This is why Colin Kaepernick and others have knelt during the national anthem at football games.

It has nothing to do with the flag or to the military. Kaepernick’s protest has everything to do with the senseless slaughter of our fellow citizens by those paid to protect us.

This is shameful.

Walter Slaven,

Arlington

An individual, not the police

This shooting has nothing to do with the police.

Police officer Amber Guyger was off-duty, but the shooting was not caused by the police department.

I have heard people say that Botham Jean was shot in his home by police, which is not true. It was done by one person.

Lloyd Jones,

Stephenville

Let’s see some authenticity

Voters are so tired of the hypocritical garbage coming from politicians. Someone who is authentic and decent, hard-working and family-oriented might garner deeper support than just yard signs.

Loveta Eastes,

Benbrook

A sense of proportion needed

A Sept. 7 letter said that if Vidal Allen had simply stopped, police officer Roy Oliver wouldn’t have had to wantonly shoot into the car and murder Jordan Edwards. (11A)

Really? A highly trained officer versus a scared teenager worried about what Mom or Dad is going to think if he’s detained by police, scared they would find out he was at a party where there may have been drugs or alcohol?

Was it worth killing him to detain him? You be the judge.

Michael David Sugg,

Aledo

Time to let the courts work

Enough already. How long are we going to be bombarded on TV and in print media with the recent shooting in Dallas?

We know about the victim, and we know about the shooter. How many times are you going to drill those facts into our brains?

Without a trial, Amber Guyger already has been convicted.

Dale Cathey,

Benbrook

Williams’ outburst spurs outrage

I am saddened by how some folks refused to support fellow American Serena Williams in an international competition, when they tolerate or even support far worse tantrums from President Donald Trump on Twitter every day. (Sept. 9, 3C, “Osaka wins after Serena-umpire clash”)

Several friends even called her “entitled.” I mean, seriously? She’s playing in the U.S. Open, and it gets competitive. People get frustrated. Tempers flare. It’s the nature of the sport.

But God forbid a black woman forget her place. Never mind that she’s the best female tennis player ever to walk onto a court. Never mind that she’s American and we should be supporting her.

I mean, seriously: You could virtually hear some folks using the word “uppity” when overly criticizing her.

Why the double standard? Where’s your patriotic spirit?

Michael Evangelista-

Ysasaga,

Fort Worth