Breathe… that’s what I asked people to do almost 7 months ago.
I am now asking people, with a heavy heart, to breathe again. We lost 12 human beings in another senseless shooting. Not too much is known right now but here is what’s certain… this shouldn’t have happened. Unfortunately, that is not the way life works. Here is what we do know:
- Nobody is happy about the loss of life.
- Emotions will be running high.
- People will need something or someone to blame.
As humans, it’s natural for us to have an explanation for tragedy… it’s normal to want to know the reason… its what keeps us going.
Let’s put it out there right now… many will blame the firearm… and many will say it’s mental health. Here are three more things we should know by now:
- Blaming Mental Health and singling out people that battle it is not the answer.
- Blaming people that support the second amendment is not the answer.
- Nothing gets accomplished when we continue with the same narratives.
Let’s just take a moment to breathe and not play the blame game. What happened today was a tragedy… plain and simple. It’s hard to process, and it’s scary to think that something evil can happen without a “reason.” As I said 7 months ago, tragedy and trauma are real and they absolutely show no mercy. Do not confuse evil with mental illness… Do not confuse someone who does something evil while carrying a firearm with a law-abiding member of the 2A community.
Take a look around you tonight and tell someone you love them. If a loved one is not near you, pick up the phone to tell someone close to you. In the coming days, as information is released, be mindful of your language and realize that the emotional reaction someone might be having most likely will be coming from trying to make sense out of something so tragic. As Americans let’s try to focus on the one thing we have in common… nobody wants to see anyone die in tragedy.