I wish the right people could read this or listen to your voice, and by that I mean the people who are holding us back from fixing this incredible problem with guns and violence. Your words are haunting and perfect in how they capture that reasonable fear of not knowing if we will be the next victim. The joy that was taken from your day, your experience... that matters. This fear takes up so much space in our lives.
But also, thank you for writing this. However much time you spent thinking, editing, kicking it around, it was time well spent.
Thanks, Robin. Yet another problem with our society is that the people who need to read it won’t. If it’s not about their individual freedom and power, They. Don’t. Care. I guess I’m not being very solution oriented about the whole thing but I feel defeated. This is just what we have to live with. Why?
Yeah, I'm right there with you. The only tool we have is our voice. I think the solution is to keep using it. Keep showing up. Keep emphasizing that THIS IS NOT NORMAL and it is not okay.
I've spent most of my adult life working in aviation, where we learned the hard way that there is no limit to hate, or nihilism- especially if it's in the name of jihad. I don't mean to oversell it, but the in a lot of ways the culture wars feel the same way radical Islamic fundamentalism (ISIS, etc.) does.
I don’t think it sounds crazy. They don’t cross mine usually. Just that one event with all the other things going on in the world coalesced into this fearful moment.
Damn. This is harrowing. But oh-so-true. I'm always clocking exits when I'm out in public now, and sizing up people for craziness. Hard to have a good time when you can't let your guard down.
I wish the right people could read this or listen to your voice, and by that I mean the people who are holding us back from fixing this incredible problem with guns and violence. Your words are haunting and perfect in how they capture that reasonable fear of not knowing if we will be the next victim. The joy that was taken from your day, your experience... that matters. This fear takes up so much space in our lives.
But also, thank you for writing this. However much time you spent thinking, editing, kicking it around, it was time well spent.
Thanks, Robin. Yet another problem with our society is that the people who need to read it won’t. If it’s not about their individual freedom and power, They. Don’t. Care. I guess I’m not being very solution oriented about the whole thing but I feel defeated. This is just what we have to live with. Why?
Yeah, I'm right there with you. The only tool we have is our voice. I think the solution is to keep using it. Keep showing up. Keep emphasizing that THIS IS NOT NORMAL and it is not okay.
I've spent most of my adult life working in aviation, where we learned the hard way that there is no limit to hate, or nihilism- especially if it's in the name of jihad. I don't mean to oversell it, but the in a lot of ways the culture wars feel the same way radical Islamic fundamentalism (ISIS, etc.) does.
I know it sounds kinda crazy, but those kinds of thoughts never cross my mind.
I don’t think it sounds crazy. They don’t cross mine usually. Just that one event with all the other things going on in the world coalesced into this fearful moment.
Damn. This is harrowing. But oh-so-true. I'm always clocking exits when I'm out in public now, and sizing up people for craziness. Hard to have a good time when you can't let your guard down.
It’s really depressing, made worse by the fact that absolutely nothing is ever going to change.
Yep. Which is about as crazy as doing nothing as the climate unravels. Yet here we are.
😔
Another piece that hits home. Love your style of writing.
Thank you, Jon.