Last week, we called in this space for an end to the epidemic of deadly violence by police against African-Americans and people of color in this nation.

At our press time, we knew only of the death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and we challenged readers to put tough questions to elected officials at all levels about what they can do in their leadership roles to stop the violence in our communities as well as that perpetrated by police.

Little did we know what the following days would bring: The wrongful death of Philando Castile at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota, protests by thousands of people in cities across the nation, and the tragic shootings following a peaceful protest in Dallas in which Army veteran Micah X. Johnson took the lives of five police officers and wounded seven others.

We at the Free Press grieve with the families of Mr. Sterling and Mr. Castile, and the families of Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Patrick Zamarripa and Brent Thompson in Dallas, and yes, for the family of Mr. Johnson as well.

This is a somber time for all the families, friends and loved ones — and the nation as a whole — as prayers, memorial services and funerals are offered for all of the victims.

This also is a time for introspection by a nation so deeply divided by race and differing perceptions on the injustice, racial bias and disparate treatment destroying our communities.

While we cannot bring back the dead, nor turn back the hands of time, we in Richmond and throughout the nation must try to move forward to cure the multiple illnesses that are killing our country. The continuing and escalating violence is causing the people and the police to be even more wary of one another, afraid that normal encounters can result in deadly consequences.

While the problem is like a Rubik’s Cube, where finding a solution shifts and changes, we need to ask questions in each of our communities, unafraid of the answers.

As for Mr. Johnson, we reject the notion that he was “radicalized by viewing Afro-centric websites,” including that of the Nation of Islam, as has been reported in the public square. For anyone who says that “Afro-centric” sites, including the NOI, incite people to crazy, they clearly have never viewed such sites or don’t understand why they exist or the value they add to our community.

However, anyone who stockpiles weapons, ammo and bomb-making materials clearly is mentally ill. We believe Mr. Johnson, by his actions, falls into that category.

Mr. Johnson, like many police officers, was a military veteran trained to use weapons and to kill. He had been deployed to Afghanistan, one of the latest in a list of military hotspots for fighting and violence. Does military service make someone quicker to pull the trigger like the many cops we’ve seen on video? Is mental health treatment needed by all of our returning veterans? Will it prevent them from turning to violence like Mr. Johnson? How many of the officers involved in fatal shootings are military veterans? What services do veterans need before returning home? Should they be tagged for treatment and observation when joining a police force?

We believe there should be better psychological screening of candidates for law enforcement jobs, including screening for implicit bias. And once on the job, screening of officers should continue at various intervals. The trauma of being on the streets may be as bad as the trauma of a war zone and could trigger problems undetected earlier.

We also believe mental health treatment should be available and accessible for all veterans and required upon return from deployment in war zones.

Tougher gun laws also are essential in this country. It’s time to tell the NRA to get lost with their nonsense, and eliminate the semiautomatic and deadly weapons used in many of these shootings, including in Dallas. These weapons, which have no use in hunting, are designed solely for the purpose of killing.

We also need tougher background checks and to close gun purchase loopholes that allow people to get around the checks. And we need to stop people from purchasing weapons if they are mentally ill or on terrorist watch lists or “no fly” lists.

We also call on Congress to stand up to the NRA and enact legislation allowing the Centers for Disease Control to collect data on police-involved shootings and deaths. Until we collect and analyze the data, deniers continue to believe that these incidents are “one-offs” and that there is no problem.

We also call for all police departments to obtain and use body cameras and dash cams. And we would hold officers accountable for not turning them on or claiming that they suddenly malfunction when an incident occurs.

We call for a national registry of police officers who have fatally shot and killed someone while on the job. We believe any officers who are fired from a department as a result of a shooting, or who are found by a court to have wrongfully killed someone, should be barred from serving in law enforcement elsewhere — even as a security guard.

The federal, state and local governments all have a “watch list” for suspected terrorists and other assorted criminals. Do Police Chief Alfred Durham in Richmond, Chief Humberto I. Cardounel Jr. in Henrico, Col. Thierry G. Dupuis in Chesterfield, Sheriff David R. Hines in Hanover or Col. W. Steven Flaherty of the Virginia State Police have such lists for applicants and current cops suspected of brutality and other wrongdoing? Yes, we believe there should be such a list in each locality. And a locality’s list should be shared with other jurisdictions.

We get it when the police departments want acknowledgments and thank yous from the community for their service. And we should do that when the kudos and gratitude are deserved. We, in the community, would like for the police to publicly acknowledge there are bad eggs within the department. No one should be shielded if they are harming citizens. And they should be publicly exposed — their actions repudiated — and brought to justice.

Yes, black lives matter. And for those who also say “all lives matter,” make that a fact. Make your actions sync with your words. All lives should also include black lives — not just those wearing a badge or the blue. It shouldn’t mean some more than others. That’s what matters.