Whether mass murder happens in a movie theater, a church, a health center, a school, or a home, the impact of the tragic event ripples through the community and through the country. Violence is happening in places associated with hope, sanctuary, and refuge. Members of our own communities perpetrate violence. These tragedies deeply affect the values we hold dear, including our sense of safety and connection to all of our community.
Several years ago, I facilitated community dialogues that allowed people to come together and talk about what they wanted their community to look like, what stood in the way of that community vision, and how to overcome the obstacles. In every group, without regard to race, gender, or income-level, people wanted to feel connected to and safe in their communities. People felt isolated and alone. I too, want a community where everyone feels safe and connected. For me, the scariest part about the current state of violence, is that the enemy comes from within the community and targets are the places we seek help, a brighter future, or a moment of peace.
What caused this violence? Immediately following tragic events we seek answers in the personal and mental history of the murderer. Mostly, perhaps, in an effort to distance our own lives and those of our friends, our family, and our neighbors from those of a person who would enact violence. While I know that judging the individual is not helpful, I struggle to place a larger context on hateful acts. Unstable people live all over that world, and yet, mass murder does not happen everywhere. Resorting to murder is rooted in an environment that alienates and degrades some community members and provides easy access to the means to commit violence. We need to use this uncomfortable place to shift our curiosity beyond the individual acts of violence to a broader discussion of the values and norms that have created this problem.
No matter how these events make you feel, this is an opportunity to reflect and to act. As individuals, we can reflect on what we value most and act on those values. Instead of living in fear and isolation we can use this uncomfortable spot to build empathy with those suffering around us. I want to strengthen my community and support the most vulnerable to rebuild both our sense of and our actual safety.
Together we can build a community of compassion. Only as a community that helps one another can we move forward. I would like to live beside community members that step out of their comfort zone and help each other. We need to build up the structures that support the most vulnerable among us and the places we find solace and connection. Organizations like Cure Violence and other anti-violence programs adopt this approach. Their intervention strategies help support community members in vulnerable situations early and prevent violence well before it is planned.
I urge you to look critically at our policies and the thought patterns that created those policies. Push for policy changes to limit access to the means of violence. Support institutions that work to intervene and prevent domestic violence, hate crimes, and terrorism. Reach out to members of your own community who may feel isolated and alienated.
With all the tragedy in the world, my heart aches and my optimism endures. We have the power to end the violence!