A year ago, I left my quiet hometown for college. When people asked me where I was from, I would say, “Port St. Lucie,” and smile when they responded that they didn’t have any idea where I was from. Although it’s the eighth largest city in the state of Florida (a fact that honestly surprised me), Port St. Lucie has always been a quiet place that nobody really knows about. Like most people, I was ecstatic to leave; another 4 years in there seemed like hell. However, once I left, I loved coming home to my quiet safe haven every once in a while in need of a break.

Two weeks ago, my perception of Port St. Lucie was changed. How can you feel safe when someone plotted the biggest mass shooting in US history in the place you call home? I used to think that I was just becoming more aware of the world as I got older. Now I realize that while I’m becoming more aware, the world is hurting more and more.

Two of the biggest mass shootings have occurred in the past 4 years. Each day people are lost to senseless acts of violence. A girl in California was raped, only to see her rapist receive pity from a judge and a laughable sentence. A man in California plotted to terrorize a gay rights parade on the very same day tragedy struck in Orlando. All of this within the past month. Don’t you see what’s wrong?

I’m not writing on either side of any argument. I’m not writing on a political rant. To the contrary, I’m writing because our world is hurting. We are losing young lives, people who could have had chances to make contributions to society. This isn’t about politics or about gun control. This is about the hatred that exists in the world. Yes, we should pray for each other. Yes, we should work together. There is so much good that we can do. Pray for the victims, pray for their families, find goodness in the world. We are all much better than what we are becoming.