Perspective on Las Vegas Shooting October 2017
Does the killing of innocent people who are enjoying themselves at a concert make sense?
No, it doesn’t. Nor is it right. Many lost their lives senselessly by a man who had no criminal or psychological record. From the outside he looked like he had success in business. What would push someone like this to harm others?
We have free will. We all have the ability to make the choice between being kind to people, or doing them harm, either physically or mentally.
The world is left asking what the shooter’s motive was. Was it the need to have power over others? Was it the need to feel like God? Have his name put in history books? Was it the desire to see others suffer and experience fear?
We can ask one hundred questions and psycho analyze, but unless we can talk to the shooter in person we will never know the real answer. He is now dead, so this is highly unlikely.
What we can do is remind ourselves to hug our family and friends and remind them how much we appreciate them in our lives. We will never know when our last day living will be. Sometimes it comes down to who is around you and having a bad day.
Live life to the fullest. Experience as many things as you can. Travel as much as you can. Talk to strangers with kindness and genuine interest. Stay in the present.
Knowledge is power, and leads to understanding, compassion, and empathy. Sometimes all people want, is to be heard. Then they too will pass on kindness.
Be a light in our unpredictable world. Help someone in need. Speak peaceful words. Listen even if you don’t agree with the thoughts of others. Accept their opinion, but there is no need to agree with it. Just move on.
God doesn’t make people do senseless things, people make that decision on their own. God is about love and wouldn’t want anyone to harm others.
Choose to be around positive people, but feel compassion for negative people. They are in that negative space because of their current personal experiences and need a little more love. This is a tough thing to remember in the midst of their negativity.
If they will not accept your love and empathy, move on. You can’t make people do what you want, even if it is for their own good. They will come to you for help when they are ready.
Our world will get better if we all begin to focus on making ourselves better people first. Everyone has a story of pain, but our journey in life is to work through that pain, learn from it, become stronger from it, and teach others our personal lessons. This is how our world connects. This is what makes us human. This is what gives us our humanity.
Lashing out in anger at strangers because of our personal pain only continues the pain cycle.
Some people may say shootings like the one in Las Vegas is our world reality now, and to just accept it. But I refuse to expect more of these types of actions. What I expect from everyone is to not live in fear, and focus on love and kindness. That begins first by being kind to ourselves, and then to others.
Photo Credit: Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades