Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

  What makes for a safe space anymore?   Three mass shootings have recently made news—Buffalo, Uvalde, Tulsa. Yesterday, we made a rare trip to our local mall where we ate our evening meal. As we were leaving, my wife said she found herself looking around to see where she could hide if there was a shooter. We began to analyze her idea. ***** As usual, there are a lot of opinions about how to stop gun violence. Our elected representatives debate. Gun control keeps popping up like a virus that won’t go away. Yesterday (2 June 2022), the American Medical Association injected their ideas. They focus on the means to quickly kill a lot of people. See what they wrote.   increasing the purchasing age for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21; banning the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines and bump stocks and related devices; closing the “ghost-gun loophole;” and creating federal requirements for safe gun stora...

From CNN.com I am simply stunned by the hatred and violence toward those who have been shot and injured in Orlando Florida today. Words like outrage and horror come to mind. The picture of pastor Kelvin Cobaris hugging two people is the kind of response I would hope to see from more clergy, regardless of their faith. As a nation, we need to see religious leaders and secular leaders binding people together to help those in need and guiding all to replace the rhetoric of hated with the language of love and respect. The focus must always be on the survivors struggling to stay alive and those with months of rehabilitation ahead. And the families will need much support. There is little meaning to be found in such a powerfully destructive act. Some have wondered about the motives of the mass murderer. Some even say motives do not matter. There will be inquiries of course. And I do hope some information helps homeland security make the USA a safer place.