The March 21 killing of four policemen and the gunman, Lovelle Mixon, has sparked debate all over the city.

Some people argue that this was tied to Oscar Grant. Others say Mixon can blame nobody but himself, even if he was on parole without support to find a job. A few people even see Mixon as a hero for standing up against the police.

In no way can this case be connected to Grant, an unarmed man killed by a BART officer. Mixon made a decision to pull the trigger and kill the policemen and therefore suffered the consequences of that decision. It was not "payback" for Grant.

We feel sorry for the four policemen and Mixon because they were all a part of the community. We feel sorry for their families. But we should not let this create an even bigger breach between police and the people of Oakland.

Mixon should not be considered a hero. Shooting four officers for no reason does not count as standing up to police. It's just crazy.

What is sad is that we, as teenagers, don't know what the answer is to brutality in Oakland. All we know is that it needs to get better fast.