El Paso, Dayton, your town, my town

El Paso, Dayton,
your town, my town.

The El Paso Del Sol Trauma Medical Director said:
“It was a long night and long day.”

I would add –
it has been a long year.
Dayton marks the 250th U.S. mass shooting in 2019.

In El Paso, the chain of healing started at the site:
friends, family, bystanders
who stopped the bleeding.

First responders and healthcare providers
who stopped what they were doing
pouring into the hospital on their days off to do the their jobs.

How do we stop this violence?
The El Paso Police Chief said
we have to determine what we value.

Here’s a start…
life over death,
love over hate,
healing over harm,
inclusion over marginalization,
people over guns.

El Paso at the border,
Dayton in the Midwest,
and every state in between our nation’s borders.

Within one minute, the Dayton shooter was killed.
Law enforcement was in proximity to stop
what would have been even greater carnage.

Weapons of war in civilians’ hands –
inspired by rhetoric of hate and online hate
that trigger hate –
making words deadly at an appalling pace

“When will we have enough?” The Dayton Mayor asked.

Training, trauma, triage…

We need transformation.

Education aimed at exposing white supremacy
so that all of us can be first responders.

Advocacy aimed at banning assault weapons
so that citizens and law enforcement can be safer.

Action aimed at replacing helplessness with hope
for your town and mine.