by Lisa Hill
@lisa_hill22
It’s Saturday night, 5 days out from the most recent mass-shooting event to top
the list of Worst Mass Shootings in Recent American History, because apparently
we have so many that we have a list. This week I have felt sadness, fear,
anxiety, and been generally pissed that we are once again in this familiar
situation. I have spent much of this week suppressing emotions, skipping
forward in my podcasts to avoid updates, changing the subject when possible,
and spending extra time at the gym with my music too loud in an effort to drown
out my thoughts. Now that I’ve made it through the workweek, I’m finally
letting myself process.
Much of
what I feel is sadness. I am sad because I have seen how deep and slow
healing the wounds an event like this will cause; I have seen how much this can
change a community. I attended Virginia Tech from the fall of 2010 until
the spring of 2014. I attended what I refer to as a Post April 16th Virginia
Tech. My freshman year I first began to understand the lasting effects of
that day during the remembrance events that take place every April. I ran
in the 3.2 for 32 run, I held a candle at the annual vigil, and I listened to
the reading of the names of the 32 Hokies who were killed. By my senior
year, I realized how the memory of April 16th wasn’t
just contained to one day in April; I realized how it continues to be visible
in the everyday.
It is the
digital clock that is located in every classroom and public space, which can be
used to display emergency messages. It is the email that is sent out
multiple times before any alarm is tested to alert campus and the surrounding
community that it is just a test. It is faculty and staff who confess to
still avoiding Norris Hall. It is the remembrance ribbon that has become
so familiar I forget that most schools don’t have one.
My
negativity and sadness, just like thoughts and prayers, are a natural response
to these events, but they are not enough. These events are too common and
require more than thoughts and emotions, they require actions. A loud
part of my brain says, “If Sandy Hook didn’t make change, why would Las Vegas?”
Thankfully, another part of me knows that change takes time and I can
contribute to the years long efforts that will eventually bring about reform.
I recently
learned about the 5 Calls phone app. It provides an effortless way to
learn about current political events on the federal level and connects you to
your representatives. While I advocate doing your own research and using
multiple sources with varied perspectives, this app is a great starting point
and eliminates the hassle of locating your representative’s contact
information. So, in an effort to turn these negative emotions into
positive actions, I am spending my evening reading up and getting ready to
contact my representatives. I hope you will download the app and do the
same.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't be afraid! We love to hear from our readers!