Will we ever return to the days when we didn’t have to worry about being gunned down? What gets people angry to the point that they gun down innocent people? Why do we continue to hear these devastating stories? These actions are taking place not in countries far away; they go on regularly right in our backyard, right here in the good ol' USA.

The latest incident in Orlando opens those old wounds once again, bringing back those old feelings of anger and rage. We ask ourselves, what can we do to prevent this? Is there anything we can do? We are all suffering at the hands of these terrorists.The fact that we never know when we could become victims of some demented individual has the whole country shook to the core. Nothing is sacred anymore, Sandy Hook taught us that. Innocent children can lose their lives—there can be no justification for that. Innocent college students are dying just trying to advance their education, all for someone who has an agenda? What goes through the minds of these individuals who stage these attacks, is it that they want recognition? Do they want to have their names in the newspaper, or is it the thinking that only their rights mean something?

We all have the right to bear arms but should we all exercise this right? I can’t fathom what the world would would become in a few short years with everyone carrying guns and shooting one another. What’s with the idea of shooting people because you don’t like their lifestyle? We live in a country that affords everyone the right to live their lives as they choose and I am thankful for that.This latest terrorist’s father said his son may have went into this club because he saw two gay men kissing. Really?! I’m sure that’s not the first time he has seen that, and who gave him the right to take the lives of 50 people because he didn’t like their lifestyle? This thinking does not just include gay people; it also includes anyone that someone has a problem with because of race, religion, or ideology. Have we become a country of intolerant people surrounded by psychotics who think that they can change the thinking of other Americans by violence? We would like to think that these people are killing innocents because they are crazy, but could their reasoning be that easy? Could it be they want to be a martyr for a cause? I think that may be closer to the answer. Either that or they want to exit this world with a big bang. Most of the people who inflict this chaos never walk away, so it’s hard to know exactly why they are doing these things.

This whole notion of hatred of selves and others have become a detriment to everyone. We will continue to hear stories that outrage us because we don’t want to be tolerant of each other. We need to learn to live and let live. Killing innocent people solves nothing; it just leaves us trying to find answers. These people are slowly killing America; soon, no one will feel comfortable going to the movies or to the mall or carrying on with our daily lives. We can’t let a few people steal our right to freedom. What can we do as citizens to better protect ourselves? Look out for these people. They didn’t become crazy overnight; someone saw the changes in them. Don’t just ignore it and wait until it’s too late. Let someone know beforehand so a qualified person can make that decision. We have to be vigilant, our children and grandchildren could inherit this problem. A solution has to be found so we can go back to enjoying our right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

My deepest condolences to the people who lost loved ones in the shooting in Orlando.