News that another New York City police officer has been murdered saddens and disturbs us. A new disrespect for the law and peace officers has gripped the city and indeed the nation.

Officer Brian Moore was a young man whose life’s ambition was to be a policeman. It was a family tradition. He died in an attempt to keep our streets free of crime.

Coupled with the disastrous events in Baltimore of the previous week, it’s obvious that the country is in the midst of a challenge to the common good.

A national discussion must take place that involves race relations, the breakdown of families, respect for the law and concern for one’s neighbor.

Tension is high and something has to give if this land is going to move forward as a leader in human rights and the peaceful co-existence of peoples from all over the world.

At the root cause of these problems is a general breakdown of the family, the basic unit of society. We look toward this year’s World Meeting of Families and the World Synod on the Family in the fall to shed some light on how to rebuild family living as a model for society.