This past week has been absolutely brutal for families in Roseburg, Oregon. Far removed from a big city’s population with inherent violence and crime, the safety and security of an entire community was shattered on Thursday, the first day of October. Even in a “gun free zone”, even in a town where everyone knows everyone, a twenty-one year old individual filled with hatred inflicted terror and unspeakable carnage on unsuspecting students in a local community college. The gunman (the local Sheriff refused to say his name “because I will not give him the recognition and fame he obviously sought.”) managed to kill ten persons and wound yet another seventeen or so individuals before the police located and killed him, as well.
None of us that heard about the massacre or watched the vigils on the television that very same night, or read the inspiring surviving victims account of what transpired will ever be the same. 
Several witnesses that were in the classrooms said the shooter asked only one question of his victims before shooting them in the head, “Are you a Christian?” It has been widely circulated on Facebook that a young father, himself shot five times, acted like a hero to save many lives. The police and First Responders were on the scene within minutes after the first shots which also saved lives. Is it possible to be extremely grateful for the lives saved (and for those that acted without concern for themselves) and still be heart-broken over the lives that were destroyed? I say absolutely and without doubt a resounding YES!
Almost immediately after the White House was notified of the carnage, President Obama offered emotional condolences to the families, adding:
“Someone will come out and say ‘Obama politicized this issue.’ Well, this is something we should politicize.” he said. “It is relevant to our common life together, to the body politic.” (Ali Weinburg, ABC NEWS, 10/02/15)
Damn right Obama politicized the situation! Why would he dare insert his politics into such a sensitive and emotional tragedy for any reason, least of all before all the facts were known? The parents haven’t even been notified yet! Was the shooter mentally ill (not everyone who commits such horrific acts is certifiably mentally ill)? Was the person mad at an Instructor or some of the students and got carried away…or just angry at the entire world? Was the shooter proving a point, promoting a cause or just plain evil?
For most of that day, many of us had difficulty grasping what accurately occurred based on what was being reported.
I do not own a gun. I do not intend to buy a gun now or ever, but I firmly believe in the Second Amendment and am happy that some people have the skills I do not desire to possess (insert chicken clucking noise here). I heartily believe in strict gun laws but stop short of banning all guns or advertising “gun-free zones”. Learning the facts about what happened and hearing the responses from people much smarter than me that meticulously analyzed the info about the murders, I admit I am still very angry.
I am angry at Obama for his insensitivity at a time when a mother and father lost a child, a wife or husband lost a spouse and an entire town lost a viable member(s) of their community. At times like this, all we want to hear from those in charge of the situation is, “We are deeply hurt by what had happened. We will try our best to do whatever is necessary to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” As a person who has personally grieved hundreds of times for loved ones, and who helps others through the grieving process, intent comforts the sadden soul much better than self-serving campaign promises. The need to “do something” certainly comes later when the dense fog of overwhelming shock and sadness lifts.
I eventually realized that the reason for my anger is not Obama himself, but this: It is my personal opinion that we are not, as our President suggests, “the body politic”. When it comes to ideology, we as humans tend to follow that which offers the most reasonable argument (common sense) to our established or learned way of thinking while providing an opportunity for “reward without excessive pain”. However, any actual comment made (even if inappropriate at the time) must be eventually be supported by affirmative action based on the Will of the People, not a political agenda or potential legacy that comes across like “blaming the victims”.
Put simply, interjecting politics at a time like this is like saying “If only you kept your child at home, then perhaps…by the way, did you vote for stricter gun laws, well didja?” This was certainly not an opportunity to “strike while the iron is hot” and play on the sympathies of all involved.
For some, I understand that their personal ideology is indeed politics; for some it is religion or education or philosophy, and still for others it is born entirely of personal life experience. Contrary to what Obama is inferring, reducing the American people to a concept of “a body politic” shows a fundamental misunderstanding or unwillingness to accept the differences in individuals. To attempt to deconstruct the basic principles of the Constitution on the heel of such a tragedy during a condolence speech is inexcusable.
I am also very angry at the shooter, mentally ill or not, who decimated not only the families of persons he shot, killed or maimed but also an entire community and nation ever-changed by his act of selfishness.
According to information published by “OregonLive” the shooter was born in the UK to a British father divorced in 1996 from his mother. He later moved with her to Roseburg. At a news conference his step-sister offered the following profile:
“All he ever did was put everybody before himself. He wanted everyone to be happy. No matter if he was sad or mad, he would always try to cheer up everybody. He was not religious or anti-religious. Our family is Christian.” CBS LOS ANGELES
I personally have no idea what made this fellow snap and cause such carnage. I cannot even hazard a guess as to why he chose to focus solely on Christians. We may never find out exactly why he chose to do what he did— he wasn’t even a student at the college! His family is stunned beyond belief. The neighbors offer different opinions of his character and presence saying “He wore a military get-up every day.” Some said he wasn’t friendly at all. Was this a random act of violence or a well-thought out crime? Were there “signs”? Could this horrific carnage been stopped? Will we find the real truth based on the facts that are available to us?
What I do know for sure is that the process of pointing fingers soon begins. People smarter than me will come up with excuses, arguments and projections to provide a “truth” that the people of America (and the families involved) will eventually accept. Some individuals will even take advantage of the situation for their own cause or gain. It is what we humans do.
Sadly, those precious children will still be dead and injured, and the families and friends will still be in mourning as the press gets weary and the news cycle changes. The scars (both visible and invisible) and traumatic memories of October 1st will stick around much longer, but we all will eventually move onto something else. We are human after all, and our minds can only deal with so much agony and frustration before we are forced to admit to ourselves (despite what is said by others to prop up the bottom line) that “things” are getting worse, not better. Just by saying or thinking those words, we then commit ourselves to the healing process and reparative actions for a viable solution—no matter how painful or the cost involved.
Whether we learn something from this travesty of human behavior or not is entirely up to us. In any case, we sure need more heroes, don’t you think?