I was three years old when 9/11 happened. I remember watching the planes going into the buildings and wondering why. Were planes supposed to crash into things? Did a smooth takeoff always land in a heap of fire? Being only three, I didn’t think much of it just like anyone else my age, and I don’t think my generation has changed all that much with our reaction to violence.

We have lived our lives through social media. We have heard about deadly shootings, terrorist attacks, and brutal gang rapes. That is all we know, and we have grown numb to it all because it is part of our definition of “normal.” Well, maybe not completely numb. We still feel some sort of remorse. We create hashtags that trend on Facebook, Twitter, etc. We pray for the victims and their families because no one deserves to go through something that horrible. We change our profile pictures to show our support for them so that everyone knows where we stand. It’s the same old song. Society is a broken record that we don’t know how to fix, and I don’t think we’ll ever be able to fix it.

Readers may not know which disaster I’m talking about, and frankly while writing this, I didn’t know either because too many events have been flashing through my mind. I’ve decided to specifically touch on the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida that happened just this week.

Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Muslim man, killed 49 people and injured 53 people at a gay nightclub, Pulse, early in the morning on June 12. No, I’m not going to talk about gun violence and if we need more gun control or not. No, I’m not going to “justify” why all Muslims are terrorists or that not all of them are. No, I’m not going to wave the LGBTQ+ flag and talk everyone’s ear off about their rights. I don’t even need to. The presidential candidates are going to politicize this story enough.

What I really want to talk about is the morality of this country. I’m disappointed in the shooter for being so hateful and resorting to violence. I’m disappointed in the followers of Westboro Baptist Church for being happy that “God sent the shooter” to punish the gays. It’s one thing to disagree with a certain lifestyle that people live, but to kill them for it is another. The hatred in this country needs to stop. Of course, it’s easy for people like me to go on with my life after hearing of tragedies like these. I have never been a victim of anything like this, and I’m grateful for that. However, I’m not going to be so naïve as to believe that the survivors and affected families have the same perspective on the world as me. Traumatic experiences change people dramatically.

I truly believe that amongst all the bad people being talked about on the news, there are good people; But the headlines will never stop. No really, they won’t. We have to come to terms with the fact that we can’t save everyone from the darkness, but we can minimize the casualties by coming together and figuring out a solution. I believe that we can, but for now look out for yourself. Be weary of everyone around you. If you feel like you shouldn’t take the train that day, don’t. Keep the keys in between your fingers as you walk down the street at night. Ever feel a little too paranoid? Like you should let your guard down for a second? Be careful because that second could end your life.