Why then the comparable silence with regard to their lives and deaths?
I believe that the national conversation misses the point: nothing about a person negates who they are and whose they are. They are made in the image and likeness of God. By trivializing, minimizing, and ultimately dehumanizing our brothers and sisters to rationalize or even justify their deaths (a common tactic among abortion advocates, by the way), we fall into a moral trap and may cause scandal. Alton and Philando are not different in this regard.
We must, as Catholics, assert our moral view at these moments even when they may be difficult and uncomfortable. Indeed Imago Dei must be the cornerstone in our national conversations about race, violence, crime, and lethal force. Otherwise we cannot possibly address, let alone resolve, these societal problems. Without our engagement, the current division and hostilities worsen.
For example, why are we silent in examining the morality of lethal or excessive force?
Far too often, those asking this question are condemned as anti-police. However, we cannot let fear of these labels deter us from this discussion.
Let's assume for the sake of argument that one actively resists arrest: does the response warrant lethal force? Were non-lethal means available? If one commits an offense during his or her interaction with law enforcement officers, does the offense justify lethal force? These are legitimate questions arising from the understanding of our faith as it relates to the life and dignity of the human person and its implications for the common good.