There are a lot of nasty, severely sick people out there. Some of them are cops. Some of them are school kids. Some of them are black. Some of them are white. And that’s kind of the point: it’s hard to pin down the ugly ones. It’s hard to cast blame in just one direction.

The cops who have killed unarmed black men and boys are cowards disgracing their badge and and who deserve stern punishment. That shouldn’t include paid leave while their cases are investigated. Their behaviors are despicable to all who care about honor and justice and fairness.

And the black man, a soldier who disgraced his service, who filed five Dallas police officers merits no sympathy at all. He too was a murderous coward; but his trial is finished. May he rot in the hell he has created.

And he will find lots of company there. Other cop killers. Murderers of civil rights workers. Murderers of gays and lesbians. Murderers of small children and so many, many tens of thousands of innocents. The list is inexhaustible, sadly. But there’s room in that hell for all of them in their miserable afterlifes, I’m confident.

No tears for them. No, save the tears for their victims, for the families and friends of victims, for the families of the murderers, most of whom remain stunned and uncomprehending.

But also save the blame. There’s way too much to go around to single out “all” cops, or “all black men” or “all” anything. or anyone. The blue easily stretches far and wide. And searching for blame can misdirect from what need to be done — which is to begin searching for solutions.

This is not the column to offer those at this moment, although it is inescapable to think for a precious second that the approval of reasonable new gun control measures cannot help but generate an immediate positive impact. Hold that in reserve, perhaps, though not for long.

Let’s focus on one thing at a time, and that starts with grieving for the victims and for our country, which has been dishonored by the actions of these cowards of every stripe. We are a better country than to simply endure this, or attempt to put it behind us quickly. Grieve, and then let’s decide what we do to resolve these issues of gross violence. We’d better not take much time, either, or we will count many more victims. I fear.