Our thoughts and prayers and other empty rhetoric

October first and it has happened again. Yet another mass shooting this time at a community college in Oregon. Ten people lost their lives and another seven were wounded by a twenty six year old man. It was reported that that individual was not a student at the school. Ten people killed and seven more wounded not to mention the countless others that were traumatized in some way by today's  "event".  Shouldn't this have an impact on all of us? Sure, we all act surprised because the last time we took steps to change the laws. To protect us just a little more than we were back when we learned from the last mass shooting. Just some common sense changes that will likely benefit the masses in the future. Not really an all or nothing type of situation because less mass shootings seems like it would be the most favored option of we the people. Lives are at stake. Why wouldn't we rally to protect our teachers and students?


No, wait. I really thought Sandy Hook would be the wake up call this country needed.


We didn't do anything. Now I remember, yes, the fortieth time there was a mass shooting at a school we all said our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, blah, blah, blah. And what changed after the fortieth? We got to add another and another and another and another and another incident with more victims to whom we deliberately and in our best monotone voice offer our thoughts and prayers. This year we have just had the forty-fifth. Not that it matters really. Just a statistic, nothing more. Nothing more that is unless you are a survivor, friend, mother, daughter, brother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, coworker, neighbor, classmate, Sunday school teacher, preacher, priest, husband, wife, NRA member, avid hunter or well, I think everyone. It should matter to everyone.

Thoughts and prayers? Is that really all we can offer to all of those broken hearts created today and the surviving victims? That doesn't protect anyone especially from the forty-sixth time we say the now same empty rhetoric of our thoughts and prayers.

Our thoughts? We aren't thinking about anything or anyone save the NRA and the second amendment. We can and should insist that this time, this time we will step up and say, make this stop! There is no better time than today to make a difference for all of our tomorrows.

Our prayer? Use your voice. Use your vote. One person can make a difference. Today that one person, that twenty something changed the lives of so many in so many ways. Thoughts and prayers need to be elevated with action.

Love is patient. Love is kind (and knows forty-five is beyond too much).