In case you missed it, there was a mass shooting in our nation’s capital on Monday.
Sure, the twitterverse was abuzz with rumors and inaccurate reports all day long, but as far as I can tell, there was more horror expressed over the show Breaking Bad than there was over real events unfolding in DC just days after the 12th anniversary of 9-11.
My office had a staff meeting. Hardly a person mentioned the manhunt going on merely a mile away. The Nats game wasn’t postponed until late in the day. I didn’t see tears or panic-stricken faces. And personally most upsetting is that not one member of my family (except soul sister Kassie) checked in to see if I was okay.
I’m still trying, days later, to come to terms with the apathy of those who shrugged off Monday. Is it because we as a nation are desensitized to acts of violence? Is it because the shooting seemed “contained” to a military base or that the victims were less innocent because of where they worked?
Maybe I’m more sensitive because I was a few blocks away from the Navy Yard at the time the shooting started. Maybe I was on edge because for the entire day the authorities were seeking a potential second shooter who could have been hiding anywhere. Schools were locked down, as was my beloved Senate, leading me to fear a crazy person in camo with a gun was making his way toward the complex where so many of my friends work.
This shooting didn’t garner the nation’s tears the way Sandy Hook did or its attention like the Boston Marathon Massacre. But it was scary, and I know I’m not alone in feeling frustrated at the tepid reaction to Monday’s tragedy.
I didn’t even know about it until it was over. I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been limiting my Social Media intake and only listen to NPR in the mornings, or if it’s because people weren’t talking about it. 😦 I’m glad you are okay.
I understand, Chelsea. I feel the same way. I was locked in my apartment, shelter-in-place. I am having a hard time coping that so many people were murdered just a few blocks from where I live, and it’s startling that most have moved on already.
I saw on twitter that you were stranded… how scary! I am just so upset at how jaded everyone seems to be about a MASS SHOOTING.
I hate that I feel like I am overreacting for wanting people to have a god damn reaction.