What can I say?

What can we say that hasn’t been said before following every tragedy that has struck this country and around the globe in the last 20 years, tragedies that seem to be happening more and more often? What can we say that will change the course this country has taken? What can we say that will bring us together- I mean TRULY together, and not unite us in sadness just for a moment, but unite us as a people moving forward every step of the way? I did not immediately take to social media on this latest tragedy because I’ve run out of things to say. I can only do my best here and frankly, I’m sick and tired of it… to say the least.

But what can we DO?

I cannot expertly speak to gun laws. I cannot expertly speak to hate crimes. I cannot expertly speak to politics. I can merely remark on the current state of humanity. I sobbed after hearing the news of yet another mass shooting in this country and to be completely honest I don’t CARE if the shooter’s intent was rooted in Islamic radicalization or a bigoted hatred; it happened. Humans died. Innocent humans are dying every day all around the world in isolated incidents and in mass quantities, because of the hatred in another’s heart.

We seem to be able to care for one another when tragedy strikes, but not on a daily basis.We cry with outpourings of love, followed by those pessimistic responses from others saying that “Love is not going to fix this” or “Changing your Facebook profile picture is not going to fix this.” We’re SO pessimistic as a society, that we can’t stand together on anything for two minutes. Instead of putting down everything that “won’t fix this” why can’t we respectfully work together to create a more caring society? That seems to me to be our biggest problem right now. Hatred breeds hatred; anger breeds anger. Hell, apathy even breeds more apathy. Too many people out there seem to just not care.

And yes, I’m angry. I’m angry that this keeps happening. I’m angry that someone with the intent to murder large quantities of human lives can get their hands on deadly weapons. I’m angry that they could kill them with fertilizer if they wanted to (and someone has). I’m angry that I feel like I can’t do a damn thing to change it. But allowing that anger to seep into how I treat others and responding to others with disrespect is by far the worst thing I could do. I care so emphatically for humanity that it tears me to pieces to see such childish behavior by grown men and women.

It’s just a pipe dream, but if we started, as a country, treating each other every day with respect and love, patience and an open-mind, would we not start creating greater change in everything we do? Dreaming of that is at least better than criticizing others. It is not Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, black people, white people, Hispanics, Asians, men, women, gay, straight, bi, or trans people that are the issue. It is anyone with hatred, fear, and anger in the hearts, anger to the point of treating anyone else with ill intent. Those people come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and religions. Hatred is the problem.

So I will not respond to Orlando with blame, criticism, or hate. I will not say we have a gun problem. I will not say we have a race problem, an LGBT problem, or a sexism problem. We have a hate problem, an anger problem, a respect problem, and until we can start EVERYDAY treating everyone around us with respect, we will never begin to come to a solution.

So while everyone I know takes to social media to comment on what needs to be done in the political or social activism spheres, I’m going to go out there today and be nice to someone- to everyone. I’m going to treat everyone I encounter with the respect they deserve as a fellow human being because I love this world and everyone in it. I love you. And even if it’s not some great inspiring act of courage that changes the course of history as we know it and someone makes a movie about it, at least it’s a start. And I hope you can join me in that.