Not Again

"Not again." I think those are the words being spoken by people all over our country. Another shooting. Another tragedy. Another night of grieving parents and children and spouses and friends. Parents hugging their children closer. Making sure the doors and windows are locked tightly. Laying in bed at night wondering where the next tragedy will occur.

Sweet Lord, save us all. When did we become these people? When did human life become secondary to our "causes." Why do we use our religion of choice as an excuse for the murders of hundreds of people? So many questions and absolutely no answers.

Look, this isn't a political post. I despise the fact that politicians blame each other for these events. This is not a political issue - it's a human issue. It's human beings not being taught right from wrong. Not knowing that love always triumphs over evil. It's our children being told they are better than everyone else, that they deserve more, and that they should do whatever it takes to make it to the top. It's the mindset of "us" against "them". The sin of vanity and self-entitlement. People of the World - this is OUR fault.

I have friends all over the human spectrum: Democrats and Republicans; straight and gay; Christian, Jewish and Atheist; pro-gun control and anti-gun control; white, black and somewhere in between. We disagree on many issues and some of us have extreme ideological differences. But here's one things I know with every fiber of my being - none of us would ever, ever, ever harm one another. NEVER. How do I know this? Because I know how we were raised. And that is to love and respect one another and our differences. Period.

So how do we change the world as it is now? I really don't know. Things have gotten so extreme that I'm not sure it can be fixed. But I do know I can fix my little part of it. I can teach my daughter that it's not okay to hate. That she must respect the lives of EVERY human being, and not just those that agree with her. I can teach her that the only way to solve a problem is love. That she is no better or worse than any other person. And that she will always be loved by her dad and me, no matter what. Unconditionally.

Yes, I'll also teach her about the evil in the world. That there are terrible, terrible people out there who don't know how to love. That she has the right to defend herself, but only in the face of pure evil and not a slight injustice. I will teach her that you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar, and that killing them with kindness is better than killing them with bullets, but to keep the bullets close, just in case.

There's no answer to the shootings. There's no way to fix this Earth we've damaged or to fix the people on it. All we can do is pray, and help, and love. Just love.