“My prayers are with _______”. The amount of times such a statement has been made on a social media platform is heartbreaking. Yet, we have become jaded. Two back to back shootings. Mourning the lives of Christina Grimmie and the victims in Orlando. But, we have become desensitized. It is wrong to say that I live in The United States of America. Rather, I live in The States of America. Because we are not united anymore.

Time and time again the news broadcasts the aftermath of mass shootings. Time and time again we attempt to play our part by sharing the article on social media and claiming to send our prayers to the grieving families. Truth is, it is hard to say if these posts are even heart felt. Because we are not surprised anymore. We have grown as a nation to become numb to the murder of our own people. It is a tragic expectation. One we feel we have no control over, nothing we can do except offer transparent prayers.

President Obama addressed this desensitization. Expressing that “Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It does not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel. And it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America; next week, or a couple of months from now.”

Leaving these incidents to the inevitable. Shrugging them off as being routine. Slowly, but surely becoming acclimated to gun violence. The more shootings we become aware of, the more it becomes normal. The more people who die, the faster we forget the victims, and the less we care.

Open religious views are no longer safe.

Open sexuality is no longer safe.

Open political beliefs are no longer safe.

Open ethnicity is no longer safe.

Open identity is no longer safe.

Being open is no longer safe

The more we become accustomed, the more our fears become inherent, subconscious. Schools are no longer safe places. Shooting and intruder drills have slowly become integrated in monthly drill protocol. Parents hug their children a little tighter every day before sending them to school. Holding their breath the entire day, only releasing it when their children come home. Public places in general have become unsafe. The palpable negative atmosphere clouding the judgement of one person, can risk the lives of many. And we have inherently accepted it.

My family moved to America envisioning abundant opportunities in a nation, which was founded by immigration, where the government and society openly accepts any and every individual. A nation where not only freedom of speech, but freedom of identity, is practiced by each and every individual. Where we can equally take advantage of opportunities presented to us, ones that we would have never received back home. But most of all, a nation who’s foundation is love.

No, it is not only the shootings that sever our country. It is the countless people who feel they have no control over the shootings. Gun laws, mental health coverage, are definitely issues that must be addressed. But, we need to care. To completely, wholeheartedly, empathize with the innocent people who lost their lives and the families they left behind. Stop visualizing them as another statistic. Stop seeing them as a casualty of gun violence. They are people. They are our neighbors, friends, family, and loved ones. We need to care longer than the news coverage. Even after, the trending headline is replaced by Kim Kardashian’s new nose job. Because only love can overcome hatred and only we can make America united again.