General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPlease remember that we all deal with tragic news differently
Yet another mass shooting has ripped out our hearts today. 25 lives lost at the hands of some deeply disturbed individual and entire families are now dealing with this horrific loss.
Reading posts today I am struck by how we each deal with tragedy differently...there is no right or wrong way to process what is happening everyday across this country.
Some people cry and weep for lives lost and loved ones impacted.
Some fear increased gun violence is just becoming a way of life.
Some are angry: at the NRA, at the shooter, at politicians, at the media
Some take a route of dark humor and cynicism, with a touch of sarcasm because if we think about it too much...it is overwhelming.
I am in that latter category. The first thing I said to my husband was "oh the shooter is white - clearly a lone wolf with mental health issues...if he were brown then it would be terrorism". My husband knows that I say that with heavy sarcasm, that I grieve for the families and the loss of life. He also knows that I am angered by the hypocrisy of how shootings are handled depending on the skin color of the shooter...as if that makes a difference to those mourning their loved ones.
He knows that if I watch one more interview of family member at a loss for words trying to describe their grief to a media obsessed with ratings, only to later be attacked by right wingers or accused of lying that I will start crying and never stop. Because I can't allow myself to feel pain anymore...it's too much for me. So my options are anger or dark humor. These are the walls I put up because I have to in order to cope with senseless tragedy.
So I will pick different things to rage at or find humor in and some may find me insensitive.
But make no mistake
I am not making light of the loss of life. The ripple effect of today's shooting and every death by gun violence isn't just for who lost a loved one ... it tears at the thread that connects of all of us.
Because 16 other people died JUST TODAY as a result of guns...and we won't hear their stories.
Because JUST THIS YEAR there have been over 300 mass shootings
Because JUST THIS YEAR there have been over 50,000 incidents of gun violence with over 13,000 dead and over 26,000 injured.
And the same tired and trite responses will be said. The same thoughts and prayers, the same "now is not the time to talk about gun control", the same boost in gun sales as the right fans the fears that guns will be taken away, the same hand wringing over "no one could predict this would happen". And then the news will move on. And just today 42 families are planning funerals and more will be planning tomorrow and the next day and the next...as a result of gun violence.
And we won't hear about the need for gun control until the next mass shooting - except now the bar has been raised. Because there were 307 mass shootings this year, but the news didn't cover them all. No, it has to be bigger numbers, more children, more victims, more shock value...and soon it will never be enough.
I can't cry anymore. I can't be outraged anymore. It's not because I don't care - because I do, more than words can say. So I will hide behind sarcasm because that is all I have left.
Irish_Dem
(46,918 posts)reaction.
It is clear our leadership will do nothing to change the violence.
As Obama said, time to pray for wisdom to come up with concrete steps to change the gun culture.
Horse with no Name
(33,956 posts)i just find it gross that we cannot deal with this epidemic in an adult way.
I will not watch the interviews because it is ratings porn.
When a bunch of kids got shot in their classrooms and we did nothing--we proved that we were morally bankrupt.
I don't want to watch the pain of the weekly massacre survivors when I know it means nothing.
It's not good for my soul.
MFM008
(19,805 posts)Watched Columbo DVDs all day.
RandomAccess
(5,210 posts)get a handle on all this white-on-white crime.
/sarcasm
Or something.
I'm sick of these episodes. And really don't want to pay attention any more. I'm sorry for the grieving families, but there is precious little I can do to help them. OR get some robust gun control measures passed.
Not a good night.
nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)A second thought to a white man dressed all in black with a bullet proof vest on.
And the alt-right thinking the left is organized enough to stage all these false flags - hiring actors, controlling the news coverage, etc.
If we were that organized, we wouldn't have trump in office.
aeromanKC
(3,322 posts)Gun massacres are what fly over Red State America decided are O.K. as the new normal. F them. Anybody who advocates for guns. F them!!
Leith
(7,809 posts)But I understand that an outlet like that just hurts some people more so I haven't posted on today's tragedy much.
The last straw was the Newtown Massacre. If that didn't get the gun humpers' attention, then nothing ever will. They are beyond reason and human decency.
If dark humor helps you, then go to YouTube and search for "Roy Zimmerman Thoughts and Prayers." If even a wry smile is too much for you right now, then you better skip the song.
murielm99
(30,733 posts)joanbarnes
(1,722 posts)ailsagirl
(22,896 posts)ffr
(22,669 posts)There's too much divisiveness. And if that's for anyone out there, to point the finger at because they don't react to these tragedies the same way as you, let it be. Unless it's over the top, let it be.
We're all hurting, suffering, sad, angry, pissed off, melancholy, whatever....
We have a madman in the White House and an oppressive regime all the way from the top down through congress. Life sucks if you love this country, seeing our constitutional traditions trampled on. It's part of the crap we're all trying to deal with.
nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)Automatically jumping to the conclusion that humor and sarcasm come from a place of negativity rather than giving people the benefit of the doubt (esp here on DU) that it's a way of coping and that the person may really be feeling pain too.
I tend to assume the best and that people mean well and have a good heart.
Which is why the election and the last 11 months have been so hard. Daily I have to come to terms with the fact that not only did millions of Americans vote for this piece of shit, but millions hold the same horrible racist, bigoted, misogynistic beliefs.
Despite my dark humor I still see the world through rose colored glasses...it's a strange juxtaposition.
Being that judgmental is just not a liberal quality - makes me suspicious. Also not getting dark satire.