What can I do?

By: Michelle

After spending much of the morning watching the news, and spending a decent amount of time crying on and off, I am left with a feeling of being very small in this world. I have always believed that one person can change the world, but right now, I am having trouble coming up with solutions to these problems. In recent years, an average of about 32 people, most of which are under the age of 21 are killed by gun violence each day. How in the world to I change that? I own a gun, and so does my husband, and I do believe in the second amendment. I was prompted to take a second look at the second amendment this morning, so here it is:

It is interesting, is it not? "A well regulated militia." What does this mean? Do we consider our country in need of a militia anymore? We do have the strongest military in the world, but I will give you this. Maybe we are in need of having a militia. Is what we currently have "well regulated"? I do not know if I can say it is "well regulated" given the statistics... However, I am not in the position, nor do I have enough knowledge of the subject at this time to purpose any policy changes.

So what can I do right now? Well, I can cry, I can feel pitiful, I can experience a great amount of empathy for the families involved, but all this will change nothing... I can write a letter to my congress people demanding change, but what kind of change can I propose? I think what I need to do is smile at people on the street; I think that what I need to do is recognize when people are dealing with difficulties, and take the time to console them, to help them; I think that what I need to do is understand that everyone needs love and companionship, and do my best to be compassionate towards others; I think that what I need to do is understand that every human life is created equal, and although people are different and may seem outside of what our communities recognize as norms, doesn't mean that we should treat them differently. Our race breeds hate, and we isolate those who we deem as "weird" or "awkward." We cannot do this anymore! We can see what this has caused, and it is unacceptable to allow it to continue. We can all change the future by simply loving people more, and loving them better. So please, take time to eliminate some of the heartbreak of our future by simply showing the love that I know we all possess.

I love you all,

Michelle