There’s really only one story worth writing about today. Three children and three adults were killed at a Christian elementary school in Nashville earlier today, another senseless massacre of our nation’s most innocent.
I will admit, at times it’s difficult to not become numb. My generation has endured hundreds of headlines—from Las Vegas to Pulse to Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook and more—yet nothing changes. It feels hopeless, out of our control. It doesn’t matter who you vote for. Democrats and Republicans have come and gone from office over the course of my life, and yet nothing has changed. The only thing you can control is where you live, and even then, there is still a risk. When the mind loses hope, it goes numb.
During a live stream on Fox News this afternoon, a mother took over the broadcast to call out Republicans' opposition to gun reform. She gave an articulate, impassioned speech:
“Aren’t you guys tired of covering this? Aren’t you tired of being here and having to cover all of these mass shootings? I’m from [inaudible]... family vacation, with my son, visiting my sister-in-law. I have been lobbying in D.C. since we survived a mass shooting in July. I have met with over 130 lawmakers. How is this still happening? How are our children still dying, and why are we failing them? Gun violence is the number one killer of children and teens. It has overtaken cars. Assault weapons are contributing to the border crisis and fentanyl. We are arming cartels with our guns and our loose gun laws, and these mass shootings will continue to happen until our lawmakers step up and pass gun safety legislation.”
I am not anti-gun, and I believe people should be able to own guns if they so choose. However, it’s far too easy for anyone to get a gun in this country. At the very least, it should be more difficult to get a gun than it is to get your driver’s license.
If the NRA is able to buy off Congress, and no action is taken to improve gun violence, then what hope is left? Money has corrupted our government.
Yet there is always a reason for hope, even in the darkest times. Emily Dickinson reminds me of this with her poem, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”:
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
The last two lines of this poem in particular always stick with me. If you’re feeling numbness settle in like I am today, don’t let it overtake you. Because hope asks for nothing in return.
It costs nothing to maintain hope. Today, or ever.
.png)
There’s really only one story worth writing about today. Three children and three adults were killed at a Christian elementary school in Nashville earlier today, another senseless massacre of our nation’s most innocent.
I will admit, at times it’s difficult to not become numb. My generation has endured hundreds of headlines—from Las Vegas to Pulse to Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook and more—yet nothing changes. It feels hopeless, out of our control. It doesn’t matter who you vote for. Democrats and Republicans have come and gone from office over the course of my life, and yet nothing has changed. The only thing you can control is where you live, and even then, there is still a risk. When the mind loses hope, it goes numb.
During a live stream on Fox News this afternoon, a mother took over the broadcast to call out Republicans' opposition to gun reform. She gave an articulate, impassioned speech:
“Aren’t you guys tired of covering this? Aren’t you tired of being here and having to cover all of these mass shootings? I’m from [inaudible]... family vacation, with my son, visiting my sister-in-law. I have been lobbying in D.C. since we survived a mass shooting in July. I have met with over 130 lawmakers. How is this still happening? How are our children still dying, and why are we failing them? Gun violence is the number one killer of children and teens. It has overtaken cars. Assault weapons are contributing to the border crisis and fentanyl. We are arming cartels with our guns and our loose gun laws, and these mass shootings will continue to happen until our lawmakers step up and pass gun safety legislation.”
I am not anti-gun, and I believe people should be able to own guns if they so choose. However, it’s far too easy for anyone to get a gun in this country. At the very least, it should be more difficult to get a gun than it is to get your driver’s license.
If the NRA is able to buy off Congress, and no action is taken to improve gun violence, then what hope is left? Money has corrupted our government.
Yet there is always a reason for hope, even in the darkest times. Emily Dickinson reminds me of this with her poem, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”:
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
The last two lines of this poem in particular always stick with me. If you’re feeling numbness settle in like I am today, don’t let it overtake you. Because hope asks for nothing in return.
It costs nothing to maintain hope. Today, or ever.
