“Naturally, we each ask ourselves, what can you possible say in the face of this horror? But then sadly you realize, you know what to say, because it has been said too many times before. You have a pretty good idea of what most people are going to say. You know what a president, whoever it is, will probably say. You know what both sides of the political aisle will say. You know what gun manufacturers will say. Even me, with a silly show like this. You have some idea of what I will say, because even I have talked about this when it has happened before. It's as if there's a national script that we have learned, and I think by accepting the script we tacitly accept that the script will end the same way every time: With nothing changing. Except for the loved ones and the families of the victims, for whom nothing will ever be the same." — Stephen Colbert in his response to the Orlando attack.
In the aftermath of horrific events like the one in Orlando, we all know what the lines are and who will read them. Liberals will call to limit accessibility to deadly weapons. Conservatives will harp on the destructive mentality and beliefs of the assailant. Each side will scream and shout at the other, but no one will be listening. They will all be speaking too loudly to hear anything but their own voices. And so will conclude this rendition of the national tragedy.
I wish that I could believe that this is the last time that we will relive this plot, but I know it will not be. We live in an age of extremism. I am not just talking about Islamic extremism, but partisan extremism. For so many people, politics has become akin to religious fundamentalism. Liberals and Conservatives each have beliefs that they hold to be unquestionable. In the context of the Orlando shooting, those on the right vehemently defend gun rights, and many on the left refuse to discuss radical Islam. All of the actors are performing their parts flawlessly.
It is long past time for us to break out of character. We have become so immersed in our roles as Republicans and Democrats that we forget why we adopted those identities at all. Ideally, we chose them because we believed they represent what is best for our nation. Once we adopt those identities, however, we become instinctively wary of notions that challenge our own. Instead of impartially judging new ideas and information, we seek out ways to validate ourselves, while berating our opponents for their obstinance. We are hard wired to do this.
Bertrand Russell once said "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong." Are you so certain of your political beliefs that you would put your life on the line for them? How about the lives of others? When it comes to mass shootings and terrorism, our beliefs can be the difference between life and death. For our own sake, we need to un-dig our heals, open our minds, soften our words and extend our hands. If we can each accept that we may not always be right and honestly engage people with different views we can change the story, and maybe even rewrite the whole script.
