Letter to the editor: The Good People

I want to be home right now. Not because I’m stressed. Not because I miss my family and friends beyond the normal amount. Not because I’d rather not deal with a hurricane. I want to be home because I feel there is no other way to support my community at this time.

I’m sure most people have heard by now that 10 students and teachers lost their lives attending classes on Thursday at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Roseburg is a two-hour drive from my hometown, and I tend not to visit unless passing through on a road trip to California. Nevertheless, this tragedy leaves me with that Oregon pull, that desire to go back to the familiar, to be back with people who, for a brief moment, will only think of this tragedy as a tragedy.

Instead, 3,000 miles away, all I’m hearing are political pundits vying for a spot to spout all the wrongs we could avoid if we just banned, or expanded, or restricted, or loosened, or checked, or trusted, or jailed, or…

At this moment, at this very moment, why has such behavior been deemed appropriate? Ten separate circles have lost family members, have lost friends, have lost a teacher, or have lost a student. Ten lives have no more additions to their story. Ten individuals woke up that morning and will never fall asleep again. Ten names will be printed in the papers a pittance compared to the number of times the name and face of their murderer will be.

Could we give Umpqua time? Could we give Roseburg time? Could we give Oregon just a little time? Could we have even a day to process before we jump into ramifications and political punchlines and pundit tags? Perhaps it’s naive of me to think, in this day and age where the Google recommendations for Oregon are already shooting, school shooting, community college shooting, that the media would wait just a few hours before taking advantage for a few bumps in the ratings.

I understand that news needs to be spread. People need to be informed – if only to ensure that loved ones are safe, that the immediate danger has subsided. But do the people need political agendas shoved down their throats before the shock and the sadness and the heartwrenching sorrow has had a moment to set in?
I am mad. I am upset. I am frustrated.

This happened too close to home, too close to my family, too close to my friends at OSU, even closer to my friends at UO, and this happened too close to all those I know who actually know those at UCC. This tragedy happened too close for any politician to start telling me to see the big picture instead.

Give our nation a breath. Please. The news cycle will continue. We will follow the classic conversations that we always have following school shootings as we have 44 separate times this year. But give us a breath first. Give us a moment to sympathize. To truly sympathize. No law will be enacted this evening. No legislative move will rock the country this week with its one-of-a-kind proposition to make us stop killing one another.

Stop pretending that media coverage discussing the pros and cons of gun control is honoring victims or their families or their friends.

Stop pretending that if we fail to have a discussion about the mentally ill and background checks within fifteen minutes of tragedy then nothing will be done.

Nothing has been done thus far, so let’s put it to rest. For just one night. Let’s honor those who woke up that Thursday morning. Let’s talk about what they were planning on doing that night. Let’s ask the real questions, like what were they going to school for? What were their dreams? Their goals? What is your favorite memory of them? I would honestly much rather know what their favorite colors were than hear one more speculative comment about the man took these folks away before we had the chance to ask them these questions ourselves.

Stop showing the murderer’s picture. Stop talking about weapons. Stop talking about lobbyists and stubborn party members and regulations of any kind. Please. Let’s remember the good people instead.