Tragedy is something most Americans are familiar with. We see it day in and day out. There is no immunity when it comes to the horrible things that happen in this country.
This weekend, 11 people were shot and 11 killed during a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Oct. 27. Some people were completely enraged by this. Others didn’t bat an eye.
We live in a society where there are heinous events that occur almost daily, and we as Americans have become immune to them. It’s hard to recall the last time where we didn’t see a news headline about a massacre, a bomb threat or something terrible that a politician said. Whether we get our news from a well known source or social media, we are bombarded by horrible events that take place across the world every day.
We have learned that no one is immune to tragedy. Whether you are a celebrity, a politician or an average person, tragedy will find you. We watched Ariana Grande suffer from PTSD after the Manchester bombing. We watched influential political candidates, like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, receive pipe bombs this past week. And a majority of Americans were devastated with the genocide-like attack on a synagogue in Pennsylvania.
It’s hard watching the news every day. The horrific things you see follow you throughout your day and will impact your outlook.
According to a survey from the American Psychological Association, 63 percent say the future of the nation is a very or somewhat significant source of stress in their lives. We worry because this country has become so unpredictable that when we turn on the news, we don’t know if someone will find the cure to cancer or if another child has been shot by a police officer.
We’re more than likely going to see something that upsets us and then one day we stop turning on the news. We’d rather be oblivious to what is happening in the world because sometimes it hurts too much to watch. Instead we avoid anything that looks like news and live in a fantasy land where nothing can impact us. It may seem like the easier choice, but just because it’s easy doesn’t mean its better.
Please keep caring.
Please acknowledge the violence, feel for the victims and pay enough attention to what’s going on around us. Social injustices occur when people look the other way. When people stop caring, that’s when the worst incidents happen.
Take the time to become knowledgeable about the horrific incidents that occur. Be patient enough to be an educated voice about these issues you are obviously passionate about. Turning off the news won’t help anyone else. Constant thoughts and prayers and someone starting a Go Fund Me are great fillers but they don’t solve the overall problem. We have to stay alert and engaged with the issues that concern us.
Speak up about what angers you. Take the chance to protest and support the causes that are near and dear to you. Make a difference in your community and keep caring about the tragedies that happen. Someone has to care, it should be you.
Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or of its staff. Jacey Gonzalez is a student at the University of Nevada and studies journalism. She can be reached at jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.