Why is this shooting happening everywhere? And what can we do about it?
By Sandy Levey-Lunden, February 2018
We’ve all noticed that in the last 20 to 25 years there have been a lot of shootings and attacks that seem to arise all of a sudden from nowhere. I was shocked to hear that there have been 307 mass killings in the last 311 days (from Feb. 2018).
Who are the people who are doing these attacks and what could be the common element in all of these people? Is there a theme? And most importantly—what could WE do to ensure that it stops happening?
This is the real question: How can I make a difference to these shootings?
We need to take our eyes off our devices, lift up our eyes and see who is alone and angry because they see that others have rejected them. All of the people who are doing these acts of violence are people experiencing total separation. These people who feel alienated and separate can be a ‘danger point’ for all of us. This danger point has to be recognized-- that it’s not their problem alone and they don’t have to find a way to fix it. They may not know it’s even possible to release their feelings of isolation and rage because they have had it all of their lives and they believe it is a part of themselves.
We should be extending generous compassion to ourselves and to others. It is up to all of us to become aware and awake to the negativity we see inside of ourselves and others all around us. We can no longer afford to be silent and sleeping. It is time for each of us to look at “How can we choose to wake up more in our lives right now and become more proactive?” And say to ourselves “I choose to wake up now and See the people around me, who might need support, comfort, and inclusion, before it’s too late.”