One of my observations from the MSU shootings and the media articles is that we have a whole generation of students in which “shelter in place” has become a necessity and a way of life. There is no question that it has saved lives in our schools. However, what does it say about our society? Where is it going to stop? Are we going to have shelter in place drills at the grocery store? The movie theaters? Our churches? Sporting events?
After 9/11 I only thought of terrorist as foreign radicals who hated the U.S and extremist groups within our country. I was naïve. Terrorists are all around us. It could be the person walking into the movie theater, the person sitting two seats over at the Tiger game, the person ahead of me in the checkout line at Krogers, etc. These are not the traditional terrorists as we have been taught, but they are terrorists just the same.
One person not affiliated with any foreign country, or any extremist group created terror for the entire MSU community on Monday night. Although he had a criminal record, he was still allowed to purchase a gun. He probably had some mental health issues, but it is safe to say he probably never received any treatment. This is our new terrorist.
We have created a culture and a society in the U.S where anyone may be a terrorist because of the availability of guns and the lack of mental health services. It is becoming the “wild west” again. Shootings occur everywhere. It is not limited to the inner cities of Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and major urban areas as some want to believe. It is not limited to minority neighborhoods. It is ingrained in our culture and society. It is random and can occur anywhere and anytime. Get used to it. It is not going away. The politicians cannot fix it. There are too many guns and not enough mental health services. We have no one to blame but ourselves, because we are the ones who elected the politicians who have ignored this problem for my entire life.
So, the next time you enter a grocery store, be alert to your surroundings, trust no one, be suspicious of everyone, have an escape plan, wear dark clothes so it is easier to hide in the dark, make sure your phone is charged and always make sure you are wearing running shoes. If you cannot shelter in place, your running shoes may be the difference in your life. You don’t have to outrun everyone, you just need to out run the people between you and the shooter.
If you think this is extreme, you are mistaken. In January 2023 there were 52 mass shootings leaving 87 dead and 205 wounded. These shootings occurred in a parking lot, outside a Subway, an intersection, outside a recreation center, etc.
In February there have already been 23 mass shooting. Nearly a 50% increase from the same time last year.
Stay safe. The “wild west” is everywhere.
Feel free to share my blog or to sign up to receive it directly in your email. See the sign-up at the bottom of the blog below the video.
Quote of the Day: “I was trying to make myself as small as possible. It was surreal. We just went through this 14 months ago…I was starting to feel that sense of security…, so having it gone again is not a good feeling. I never thought I would have to text my loved ones or my friends again to make sure that they were O.K.” Emma Riddle, MSU student who 14 months ago was a student at Oxford High School when that mass shooting occurred.
Orchid of the Day: My neighbor in Ypsilanti, Gordon Cohours, who turned 103 today and is sharp as a tack.
Onion of the Day: The people who created Valentine Haunt for Valentine’s Day and turning the former Eloise psychiatric hospital into a haunted house. Using the history of Eloise and making a profit off human misery is cruel, immoral, and inexcusable.
Video of the Day:
Megan Piphus Peace
Tom, As a graduate of MSU it angers me that a walk on campus will never be the same. I don’t know how we turn things around in this country. The politicians we have in place sure won’t change things. They are to busy getting paid by the NRA. Ron
Ron,
I agree the politicians will do nothing. Sheltering in place is going to expand to everywhere we go. It is a sad commentary on our society, that we have a whole generation who “sheltering in place” has become a way of life. It is only going to get worse.