You pick up the phone and dial the number, you hear ringing on the other end. You pause, waiting for someone to answer. When they don’t you close the phone, but in your mind the conversation continues. In your mind, the person answers and the familiar voice sounds so soothing. Whatever your day was like, when you start your conversation, everything smooths itself out, everything will be ok.
Except it won’t.
For 50 lives, there will be a person trying to get in touch with a loved one but won’t be able too. For 50 people, their friends and family will feel a tremendous hole in their lives, when they no longer hear the foot steps walk through the front door, no more phone calls, texts, empty hallways – silence.
Silence that is shattered by a nauseating media trying to fill it in, supposedly trying to make sense of it all, but only adding to the frustration and confusion.
Silence that is shattered by politicians trying to claim righteousness over their stance: gun laws, terrorism, extremism, immigration. Politicians making it about their campaign instead of the people who are now gone.
Silence that is shattered by one group demanding another to apologize. Apologize for this despicable action because you are held accountable! An entire 1.6 billion people once again held hostage by an individual with a diseased heart.
The chaos will ensue, families and friends will try to pick up the pieces. They will live through the heartbreaking moments of not being able to call their best friend, son, daughter, sister, or brother. Their lives forever altered, they will continue through the motions, but it will never be the same again.
The politicians will make this about their policies, they will pinpoint a particular group of people. In turn, we will see yet another cycle of hate crimes against innocent people.
The stage has been set, the madness in play – I wonder who is running the show?
Ahlam Yassin, M.A.Ed. 