We Are ALL In This Together

A terrorist attack happened on US soil, a terrorist attack, A TERRORIST ATTACK, on the early morning hours of June 12.

It is scary.  It is sad.  It’s difficult to process.

When this happened on September 11, 2001, we united in shock as a nation.  We didn’t know what to think.  We didn’t know what to do.  We didn’t know how to react.  We said we would never forget, but, somehow, we seem to have forgotten.  We’re not a country united, we are a county torn apart.  In the last 36 hours or so, my social media feed is filled with posts scolding people for not reacting “correctly.”

So what is the correct reaction?  If I read through those posts, I am to presume it means to hate all religions.  To not understand that being Muslim and of middle eastern descent are not the same thing.  To ban all “machine guns” and “automatic weapons” which already are prohibited to be bought by your average American and were not used in this attack (nor any other mass shooting that gets referenced).  To not find this to be an attack on Americans or our country, but that it was an attack solely on gays (because somehow they don’t fit in the American group?) To not, God forbid, go to your kid’s soccer game or be proud of an accomplishment they had or stress out over your job or make dinner….or any other normal activity in your life.  To feel guilty for not changing your profile picture to show support, because, hey, that just makes everything better. To not dare post a fact, because then you are not thinking of the victims.  Even to find this to be a great reason to blame all Christians, especially if they are Republican, for our issues.

I’m sorry, I can’t make my world all rainbows and unicorns again by changing my profile picture, pretending that people would not still be able to find a way to kill if guns didn’t exist, and dressing in black (or should that be rainbow) and do absolutely nothing but mourn for, well, how long is the correct reactionary period anyway?

This is an event that obviously touches a lot of people.  We all react to fear and grief and shock differently.  I write, I talk.  I, as with any other hard issue, don’t react emotionally.  I try to gather details, try to make sense, try to think of what might be the most practical solution.  And I do that while I’m watching my son play baseball and folding the laundry and doing errands and getting the stuff done I need to get done at my job.  Other people may react differently.  And that is OK.  It doesn’t make us enemies.  We are all victims of this attack, and our real enemy is likely laughing at us for making their job easier as we tear our own communities apart.

I pray we can realize we are ONE nation, we are all human beings, we are all in this together, gay, straight, liberal, conservative, black, white, religious (even Muslims!) or atheist.

And I’ll do that while I’m continuing to live my life and being proud to be an American.

That’s why they have wine.