A year or so ago, my son told me of an experience he had working as a volunteer first-responder. It seems he was riding an ambulance with a young woman who had overdosed. During that ride, the woman died. Boom! Just like that. It affected him to the point that he had counseling. She was about his age.
First responders face death on a daily basis. It can affect them in many ways, to the point where it can rub off on their families and friends. Add the trauma which falls on the living and you can see where this is going. Trauma isn’t linear, it’s exponential.
It’s bad enough for someone to be riding in an ambulance and having someone your own age die as you are watching. Now, imagine the nightmare of arriving at a school and finding not just one, but eighteen young, vibrant children shot dead by a teenaged gunman.
I cannot help but to think of how any one of the first responders will react to the situation they found in Uvalde on the afternoon of the 24th of May.
As of the time I began writing this blog, there were eighteen children and two adults dead. God knows how many others were wounded, and God knows how many people will be affected by the act of a lone gunman in the last week of school.
Not linear. Exponential.
And what’s worse were some of the comments made on the bulletin board where I got the news, attempting to place the blame on “Open Borders,” “Obama,” “Democrats,” and “Joe Biden.” I quit reading those comments before someone would blame “Mexicans” or “The Jews.”
I believe I’ve mentioned before my dislike of people trying to fix the blame instead of fixing a problem. And I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more blame fixing when the NRA meets in Houston this coming weekend. The usual politicians who, today, are fervently pleading for “Thoughts and Prayers,” will be speaking at that convention.
So, the question becomes – “When will we reach the point where we say enough is enough?”
Unfortunately, more blood of the innocent will be spilled before the question is asked again. And again. And again.
Be Seeing You!
bdharrellauthor 
B. D. Absolute truth, sadly so. God bless you and your family extra good. Love you Brother always. Hope you and Carol are doing well. Respectfully, Rich
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Agree whole-heartedly. Problem is, when looking for a “solution,” everyone wants to believe in the magic potion – the one action that will fix it all, leave no repercussions or ill-effects, and not step on THEIR rights and preferences. [It is fine, you know, that we step on YOUR rights, but let’s be clear on this, you dare not step on MY rights.] Our society is so fouled-up today. We tolerate too much [cheating, lying, prejudice, hate, violence], protect the wrong rights [rapists, murderers, sexual abberants, crooked politicians and corporations, unpeaceful peaceful “demonstrators”], idolize the wrong things and people [influencers, sportletes, celebrities], and pursue questionable pastimes – fantasy anything, prurient “reality” money, money. Regardless of the issue, guns, abortion, immigration, war, gender, prejudice, any single-minded “solution” MUST also address our sick society.
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Good though provoking read.
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