Two mass shootings took place over the weekend. One in Dayton, Ohio and the other in El Paso, Texas by a man who “wanted to stop Hispanic invasion into the U.S.” Between both of these terrible acts, at least 31 people have been left dead. 

I found out about these shootings because most of Ames moved their flags to half staff to mourn those who were lost. I also found that President Donald Trump stated on Twitter, “…The flags at the White House will be lowered today through Thursday, August 8. Melania and I are praying for all those impacted by this unspeakable act of evil!”

A few moments later, I saw that Trump made a public comment  on Twitter stating, “Today’s shooting in El Paso, Texas, was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today’s hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people….”

I, for one, appreciate the fact that Trump took the stance he did. Of course he wouldn’t state that he was pro-violence, and the issues here are so much deeper than just one statement, but considering he hasn’t had the best filter on Twitter, I think the way he reacted was good. 

Now, I could rant about how gun violence in the U.S. needs to improve, but those articles have been written and rewritten for years. Like Trump, I want to take a moment to mourn for all those innocent victims who were tragically taken from the Earth by evil people. There was absolutely no reason these people should have been taken, and there is absolutely no reason these evil people should have been in a position where they could do these terrible acts of evil.

For one, why did no one pick up on the fact that this person who perpetrated the shooting El Paso was obviously racist and had a special hatred towards Hispanic people? With enough hate toward the race to open fire on an area, he must have shown others his hatred over the years. Secondly, the shooter in Dayton, Connor Betts, told his ex-girlfriend he was extremely interested in mass shootings and that they bonded over their shared mental health issues, such as depression. 

If we lived in a perfect world, mental illnesses, gun violence and hatred would not exist. Sadly, we don’t. The best thing we can do in the imperfect world we live in is be aware of our surroundings and talk if something seems off. For example, if someone you know from high school has a list of people they imagine killing, eventually or now, tell someone. Hurting someone’s feelings for a month over saving dozens of people is something I’d be willing to sacrifice.