It’s Time To Stop Reacting And Start Responding To Shootings!
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and our power to choose our response.”
Jackie Cazares
Why I Haven’t Responded
It's been a couple of days since the horrific atrocity that was perpetuated in Uvalde, Texas. Someone asked me why I hadn't yet responded and my response was simple. If I did respond at that moment, it wouldn't have been a response.
I, like you, was beside myself in astonishment, horror, and grief. We still are. To respond immediately would have been, in Dr. Viktor Frankl's language, reaction not response. They are not the same.
Alithia Ramirez
Reaction Vs. Response
Reaction is what we do when on autopilot, unconscious, or in this case, in shock. Nothing constructive, healing, or good comes from reaction. Not in any area of life, and especially not in the aftermath of a tragedy like this one. All you have to do is listen to politicians, news pundits, and the big-talkers on social media to hear this.
Blame. Finger-pointing. Conspiracy theories. Race-baiting. Politicking. Pushing policy agendas... this is the stuff of reaction. It is not helpful. It is not good. Simply put, it is wrong.
Annabell Rodriguez
However, as we have seen time and again, it is to be expected. Why? Because this is the dark and growing shadow of a culture that…
Lives with an increasing level of urgency - we want news, answers, and arrests - NOW!
Can't handle complex ideas, hold competing viewpoints, or engage in meaningful dialogue with people in opposing political parties - NONE!
Won’t deal with difficult feelings, make room for dark, negative, or overwhelming emotions
But above all else we are creating a culture that can’t handle, sit with or endure suffering - AT ALL!
Sitting In Suffering
Xavier Lopez,
We are fast. We are fickle. We are fragile.
So what do we do? We react! And no matter what follows in the aftermath of reaction, it never works, always hurts, and frankly compounds the tragedy.
Yes, there is much to be done vis-a-vis laws, policies, procedures, and enforcement...
Yes, we need to do something, many somethings, to remedy the root cause of this shooting epidemic.
Yes, we need to act, but what’s going on right now is not action - it’s reaction.
What we need right now is to heed the wisdom of the Jewish tradition and sit down, shut up and feel our pain for seven days - called “shiva.”
Tess Marie Mata
Sitting shiva is not about pushing the pain aside to follow the market.
Sitting shiva is not about turning the TV dial to watch something happier.
Sitting shiva is not about tuning out, shutting off, or closing down, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.
Sitting shiva is absolutely not about doing nothing.
Rather, it’s to stop doing meaningless things and begin to do something meaningful, like…
Maite Rodriguez
Sitting for an hour a day this week and read about one of these 21 murdered souls.
Sitting for a few minutes in the morning or evening and meditate upon the picture of one of these beautiful children who is dead.
Sitting for a few moments right now and try to put yourself into the shoes of one of their parents.
Sitting and feeling the pain. Sitting and holding the suffering. Sitting and defying your desire to run, your natural reaction to take action, or the thousand other ways you attempt to discharge the pain.
Make Space. Take Space. Hold Space.
In the words of Dr. Viktor Frankl, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and our power to choose our response.”
It’s time to stop reacting.
Nevaeh Bravo
It’s time to sit down, shut up, and make some space.
It’s time to take responsibility, as Dr. Frankl taught, - “response-ability,” the ability to stop reacting, the power to start responding, and the duty to make this world a better place.
It’s time to become responsible and response-able, able to finally and fully respond in an appropriate, impactful and healing way.