5 Thoughts on Las Vegas Massacre

1. Sympathy and Empathy: I'm deeply saddened by this particular event. I can, I sympathize with people whose loved ones were killed or injured, but most of all, I feel extremely frustrated that hundreds of innocent people keep losing their lives to such meaningless violence. It's too painful that we keep having this discussion with zero changes.
2. I'm Shaken: I found out that my BFF's oldest daughter nearly attended that concert, but canceled. I've known her daughter for 14 years now. I knew she was the type to go to a country music show, and the moment I heard about the incident, she popped up in my thoughts. I don't think I could be strong enough for my BFF and her family had she been killed on Sunday evening.
3. It Could Have Been Much Worse: They found thousands of rounds of ammunition, over a dozen firearms, and equipment and materials to construct a crude fertilizer bomb. With over 500 people injured and 58 victims perished, the outcome was bad enough but the numbers don't even begin to describe how bad this could have been if things had gone slightly differently. With 20,000 people attending the concert, a bomb would have easily tripled the casualties and deaths.
4. Firearms Regulation is Needed: The late Justice Scalia never took regulation of firearms off the table, contrary to what many people believe. Yet, we have the NRA telling us that the right to own firearms is without question and the ACLU demands that the gun rights of the mentally ill are restored once their illness is under control. They offer abstract arguments that remove context and reality, as though their narrow interpretation of the 2nd Amendment is sacrosanct and correct. They're wrong and they're responsible for the loosening of gun laws which have allowed for the steady increase in mass-murder events. NRA money is blood money.
5. Yes, We Have to Talk About it Now: We have to talk about it now; we can't keep having Sandy Hooks, Pulse Nightclubs, and Las Vegas concerts, where innocent people are dying because we refuse to address firearms regulation. There is no 'good time' to discuss this; we do this now because it must be addressed sooner than later. Wouldn't you want to discuss this before your family member dies from a gunshot?