Dear Residents -
As we head into a long holiday weekend, my introduction would typically be light-hearted and mention all the fun things there are to do around town. But after what happened this week in Uvalde, Texas, a place I had never heard of before, it just doesn’t feel right to do that.
I confess, I struggled to come up with words to express my thoughts about the tragic events that happened on Tuesday. As a mother, I cannot fathom the unimaginable pain and suffering the parents, grandparents and siblings are now enduring. I can’t help but think about the surviving children, teachers and responding law enforcement officers and what they will now have to live with for the rest of their lives. Following so soon after the racist, hate-filled mass shooting in a supermarket in Buffalo, I find myself at a loss for words.
However, what I will say is that we need to do more to put an end to the senseless violence that is plaguing America. We need to ask what drove two 18-year old men, with their entire lives ahead of them, to kill people they never met. We need to question how they obtained the guns they used to carry out these cowardly acts. And, most importantly, we need to ask what we need to do, collectively, to prevent this from ever happening again. America has to do better so that hatred, racism and evil does not prevail.
So, whatever you choose to do this weekend, be sure to hug your loved ones a little tighter and spend time with your family and friends making lots of wonderful memories. If there is one thing we learned this week, it’s that none of us is guaranteed tomorrow.
Lastly, on Memorial Day, take time to reflect on the men and women who lost their lives defending our freedom.
Have a safe holiday weekend.
Regards,
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