There was Another Mass *** in the U.S This Morning. I Just Can't Believe it. This Really Upsets Me.

I really can't believe. I just... God I don't even really know what to say right now. I know what I want to say, but I'm having the hardest time getting the words out in the way I want them to come out. I'm just so shocked and stunned. Coming across that headline and reading the story really jolted me. I started crying shortly after reading the story. I just don't understand why anyone would do something like this. It shocks me that another mass murder has happened just weeks after the shooting in Aurora. Why is this happening? If only an answer could be found.

This morning in Wisconsin near Milwaukee, a Sikh temple was attacked by a gunman who has claimed six lives and injured around 20 more. The gunman who killed those six people is dead, he was shot dead by an officer. Four people were killed inside the temple and three (including the gunman) were killed outside. Most of the injured are recovering but there are three people who were shot in the face that are in critical condition, there's no telling if they'll survive or not right now. Earlier, the police were unsure if there were multiple gunmen but now they're saying they are positive the gunman worked alone. The officer who fired the fatal shot on the gunman was also shot several times by the gunman but he's expected to make a full recovery. That is a hero right there. The officer was prepared to give his life to save the lives of others. The temple that was attacked on average has about 400 people who attend it. Many people were spared because the temple was only partially full when the attack occurred.

It's unfortunate, but American Sikhs are subjected to a lot of violence just like American Muslims are. Both Sikhs and Muslims have been subjected to violence since 9/11. Sikhs in America are often mistaken for Muslims because of their dress. Sikhism and Islam are very different religions but their dress is fairly similar, which can get people confused if they don't know the difference between dress for Sikhs and dress for Muslims. Sikhs are often people who are just caught up in America's "Islamophobia". It wouldn't surprise me if the gunman attacked the temple because he thought he was attacking Muslims and was doing America a "favor". Sikhs and Muslims are two of the most endangered religious groups in America. Neither Sikhs nor Muslims deserve to be massacred like these people were today. It's time we stopped ignoring it and faced the growing problem in our country. We can't ignore this forever.

If people knew about Sikhism, you probably wouldn't hate it at all. Sikhism is an extremely peaceful religion. Sikhs are some of the nicest and most peaceful people I have ever met. When I lived in New Mexico, there was actually a lot of Sikhs in the area I lived in. A lot of them worked at the high school I went to as Special Education instructors or helpers. There were also a number of substitute teachers who follow Sikhism. I knew someone who was a Special Education student so I would often get the chance to talk to his instructor who was a female Sikh. She was always so happy to answer any questions I had about her religion, I learned a lot about Sikhism from her. Peace and non-violence is a very big part of Sikhism, it's probably one of the most peaceful religions I have ever come across. Sikhism is an Eastern religion if you were wondering. Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that was founded in South Asia more than 500 years ago.

It honestly sickens me how so many people are brushing this off and trying to blame the victims. The fact anyone can blame the victims for this just absolutely sickens me. I've seen people wondering aloud why none of the people in the temple shot back or had guns on them. I've also heard people call the victims "cowards" for not shooting back. That's a pretty simple answer when you know the basics of Sikhism. As I mentioned, peace is a core for Sikhism. Someone could be handing guns out on a street corner for free and the majority of Sikhs would not take one because it goes against their religion. Sikhs are very strong in their view of peace. None of the people in the temple were "packing" a gun because their religion goes against it. Not to mention, they were preparing for a religious service, I don't know anyone who would bring a gun to that. Whether they be Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or something else, I don't know anyone who would bring a weapon to their religion's service. The people within that temple were not cowards in the least bit and it's disgusting to insinuate that they were just because they didn't have a gun and/or fight back.

On top of that, just because someone had a gun doesn't mean the massacre would have been stopped. In fact, someone shooting the gunman back could have just made things worse. Guns are not miracle solutions, people. Shooting someone who is shooting you isn't always going to end well and someone shooting the gunman in this case may have just made things worse.

On that note, it's not that easy to fight someone who has a gun pointed at you. I have had someone point a gun at me, it's a terrifying experience. Trust me on that. Many of you who are sitting there and bragging about how you would have played hero and fought the gunman probably have never actually had a gun pointed at you. It's not that easy. Guns are scary. Some people do have a natural instinct to fight but others have a natural instinct to freeze. If someone doesn't fight, that doesn't mean they're a coward.

When I have had a gun pointed at me, I have frozen out of fear because I am scared of getting shot. It's not that easy for a lot of people to fight someone with a gun because of how much fear a gun can instill in a person. So don't talk so highly of yourself about what you would do when coming face-to-face with a gun if you've never been face-to-face with someone who wants to shoot you. You can sit there all you want and brag about how you'd play "hero" but when it comes down to it, you don't really know what you'd do in that situation until being actually put face-to-face with someone who is pointing a gun at you.

My condolences go out to the victim's family and everyone who is a member of that temple. It's a terrible thing what happened in Wisconsin. No, terrible doesn't even begin to cover it. I don't have words to explain how horrific and atrocious this act was.

I'm still a little stunned by this.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:47pm