I worry for all our Black sons in the class of 2020 as they leave the protection of their parents to participate in social-distanced celebrations, I am acutely aware of their risks amidst the racial tensions.

Last week’s murder, of another unarmed Black man killed by a police officer, will require more parental warnings to our Black sons across America.

The images of protesters of varying ethnicities, compared to pictures of unmasked people relaxing and enjoying the nation’s beaches, demonstrate compelling differences between American values, and promises of liberty and justice for all.

There is very little difference between today’s crisis and the civil unrest witnessed in foreign nations in which America has intervened, like in Operation Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq.

I still sing, “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave” because as a veteran, I continue to believe America is the home for people brave enough to fight for freedom.