Say their names: Ralph Yarl and Kaylin Gillis. These two young people, 16 and 20 years old, respectively, have something tragic in common.
On April 13, young Mr. Yarl reportedly went to the wrong house trying to pick up his younger siblings and was shot by the person in the house. Blessedly, he’s recovering from his wounds.
On April 15, young Ms. Gillis was not so fortunate. She was in a car with her friends when the driver reportedly turned into the wrong driveway and she was shot by the person living in the home and later died from her wounds.
I’ve heard and read some of the rationales. It was late at night. There was fear and a sense of threat. People were protecting their property.
I’m sorry. No, actually, I’m not sorry for thinking this way. This is a problem.
Here are some more names you can say: Corbin Holston, Marsiah Collins, Philstavious Dowdell, and Shaunkivia Smith. What’s their story? They range in age from 17 to 23 and were shot and killed at a birthday party in Alabama on April 15. More than 30 others were wounded. That shooting is still under investigation.
How about some more names: Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs. They were all nine years old and shot and killed at their school in Nashville, Tenn. Three staff people in their 60s, Cynthia Peak, Mike Hill, and Katherine Koonce were also killed.
From all outside appearances, it appears the following actions put you at a risk to get shot and potentially killed: Mistakingly going to the wrong house, going to a birthday party, and going to school/work.
Whatever you want to blame for all of this, can we at least agree this is not right and that we have a serious problem here?
Actions affecting life
Who is Jacob Stevens? He’s a 13-year-old who died recently trying to emulate what is apparently called the “Benadryl Challenge” where someone ingests more than a dozen of the antihistamine medications. And why? Because it was on TikTok. Someone came up with this, others followed, someone died, and people got hurt.
Who is David Street of Peoria, Ill.? He died recently on I-39/90 just outside of Madison after colliding with a “wrong way” driver who is now charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Someone got into a vehicle and drove who probably shouldn’t have been driving, someone died, and people got hurt.
I wanted to include more names and more incidents, but I can’t. This is getting to be too sad.
People love to throw around the phrase “actions have consequences,” but do we really know what that means or how to live it out?
A good chunk of this week’s edition is dedicated to “Human Life and Dignity,” but where is it?
We’re shooting each other, making careless choices that kill each other, influencing others to harm themselves, and so much more.
Are we pro-life or not?
I’m including everyone in the world in this because we’re all in this together.
To quote the Apostle Peter in the 1970s miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, “I’m just a stupid man.” I’m not a genius that has all of the answers to life’s problems, but I wish I did.
I’m begging everyone out there to first realize we have a serious problem we’re dealing with.
We have a problem that is worse than any pandemic.
We don’t love each other. We don’t want what’s best for our neighbor.
We’re selfish, only think of ourselves, and people are dying or getting hurt.
Find a solution
I know we’re all going to die of something at some time. That’s part of the deal of living here.
Can we try to avoid needless death, whether it’s with the gun, the vehicle, the drug, or other questionable actions?
Just because Cain killed Abel, that doesn’t mean we need to kill our brother as well.
Sure, we could avoid the news and blame “the media” for the negative picture they paint about how humans treat other humans, but we are our brother’s keeper.
We’ve grown so walled up protecting ourselves from all of the bad in the world (and the bad is plentiful) that we forgot to love thy neighbor.
Will praying in schools fix this?
Will taking guns away fix this?
Will banning abortions fix this?
Will caring more for the environment fix this?
Will having more reverent Masses fix this?
Will ensuring more civil rights for others fix this?
You tell me.
These are the issues we find worth fighting and dying for.
Whatever it takes to stop school shootings, let’s do it.
Whatever it takes to stop drug abuse and its related death and harm, let’s do it.
Whatever it takes to stop any needless death, let’s do it.
Being pro-life is supporting life through natural death.
Let’s do all that we can to make sure we all have an opportunity for a natural death.
These things aren’t up to me, but I’d prefer not to die because I went to a wrong house. I don’t want to die because I went to work. I don’t want to die because I’m driving home.
I don’t want to see people I love die because they need social media clicks. I don’t want to see people I love die because they’re in pain and have nothing or no one else to turn to and turn to the wrong things. I don’t want to see people I love die because I didn’t love them.
It starts with love.
Love everyone today and tomorrow.
Love your family members, your friends, your neighbors, and your enemies. Imagine how much better things would be if we loved our enemies.
Thank you for reading.
I’m praying for all of us.