I'll say it clearly now, though I've hinted it in other posts: I'm not a fan of the current Republican Party platform, and as someone who has supported the party in the past, watching the party take the path it has is really discouraging and nearly devastating to me. It's not the same party I supported previously, and yes, I'm no fan of our current president. I don't know much about Charlie Kirk, so I don't really have much of an opinion on him.
Utah Valley University is one of two universities in Utah County, and is a great option for local students, especially since BYU, which is just minutes away from it, has a highly competitive enrollment process. UVU is a nice campus, and from what I understand most students really love studying there. It's not generally a place known for trouble. There are a lot of people who were excited to see Charlie Kirk and not just students, so there were likely people from all over the valley (and perhaps further) attending. My brother works there, but fortunately was off that day, and I have a neighbor who was teaching at the time it happened. The shooting not only affected the school, but the surrounding communities, since our universities play a great role in many of our lives. We have friends, families, and neighbors associated with them, so when they suffer, we suffer also.
As I think of what the students must be experiencing, I reflect on my own experience when I was still somewhat new at my job, barely passing my year mark when my coworker, one that I had befriended, came in to start work, but before long she'd collapsed to the floor and convulsed. I was the only one there and my manager was in her office, but I was able to call her over and get things going for treating her. She was dying, but they managed to bring her back long enough (two weeks) for her family to come and say their farewells. I remember how I felt during all of that, so shaky and in shock, eventually crying, and I was sent home where I worked out my extra adrenaline on the treadmill. I was emotional about that for some time. What these kids went through was much worse, and I really feel for them. It's not fun to watch someone die, especially so unexpectedly!
I'm surrounded by neighbors and family who are Trump supporters. If they didn't know about Charlie Kirk, their children did. This has been devastating for them, but this wasn't just a loss for them, it was a loss for everyone, and most of us understand that. Even for those who disagree with the current administration can recognize when too far is too far. We don't condone such actions.
As details came out about the shooter, statements have been made by many commenters on social media about the family being, "Mormon," and making derogatory statements about that. First of all, I want to point out that the church with its actual name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, made a prompt statement that they do not condone this act, and reminded members and the world of the second great commandment, Love Thy Neighbor:
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| Official Statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
There are still people online who are not respecting this tragic death, and that is a sad thing to witness. When the news of this first came out, there were many who asked the question, "Why did this happen? How did we get to this point?" I have my own theories about that answer, but I'll spare you for the moment. I'll simply say, we can learn if we look back on history from as recent as the last century to as far back as we know about that people are capable of doing terrible things. There are some of us who hope that we don't have to witness it happening in our lifetimes, yet here we are, clearly heading that direction. This event is a warning. My fear is that this warning is too late. Too many have taken sides and have been taught to see the other side as an enemy.
I hope more than anything else that I'm wrong about that. When I said difficult times were ahead at the beginning of the year, this was among the things I was worried about, and I must clarify that when I said it will be ok in the end, I meant it in perhaps a different way than others might interpret it. Things always work out, but not always easily, and not always in the manner we expect.
