Saturday's Shooting

Our country is in mourning today. We are mourning the loss of some of our citizens in Tucson, Arizona. We are conscious of the suffering of their family and friends. We are praying for a Congresswoman as she hangs unto life tenaciously. We are praying for those who love her as they stay close by her willing her to live yet another day.
I hope that we are mourning for the disturbed young man who committed the acts that caused all this. I hope that we are keeping his family in our prayers. They, too, have lost a loved one. He, too, has lost his life.
My tears are not only for the sadness and hurt. They are for the beautiful and good that I see. Yes, one deranged young man caused moments of chaos that will leave lifetime scars. There were, however, many acts of kindness, unselfishness and heroism that will also have a lifelong effect.
There was the young intern, a new employee of the Congresswoman, who ran towards the shooting rather than away. This placed him at her side to do what he could to save her life.
There was a husband, who threw his body over that of his childhood sweetheart’s, giving up his life for hers. There was a mother who did the same for her child taking bullets that luckily did not kill her. There was the 9yr old girl, born on 9/11/01, whose interest in government took her that day to meet her representative. What she was doing that day stands out in my mind more than what happened to her. It shames many of us older but not wiser who have better things to do on a Saturday morning.
And then there were the two men who took advantage of the first pause in shooting to tackle the shooter. They kept him pinned until police showed up. One of the men had a head wound, the bullet intended to kill grazed his scalp instead.
They were assisted by an older woman who grabbed the next clip out of the young man’s hand after he had fallen to the floor. Another man tore the gun out of the other hand at the same time. Not only did these people save countless lives including the gunman’s but they said loudly and clearly to him and any others with similar plans-“ We will not go down without a fight!”
There were countless numbers of people assisting the wounded, covering the dead, and doing what they could to help.
There was ugly at that Safeway on Saturday but there was also beautiful. There was evil but oh, how much good also. My hope for humanity is renewed at these times as I watch love, compassion, giving and valor. We seem to remember that we are all part of the human family and caring is what we do best. That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?