I'm Sick of It

Dear Freinds,

Yesterday’s murderous act of senseless gun violence in rural Sutherland Springs, Texas, has left me feeling once again sickened and, alarmingly, weary. The recent steady news of shootings, racist violence, sexist violence, ethnic violence, and general ideological intolerance and hatred, is an affront to basic human decency and optimism. There are no justifications for these despicable acts and, frustratingly, understanding of how things went so terribly wrong is often elusive.  All of this badness takes a cumulative toll on my emotional resilience. I feel down today. Many of you may have similar thoughts and feelings. It’s important to recognize the impact these tragic events have on us emotionally and intellectually, on our feelings, energy level and behavior, and to take self-care steps lest we become vicarious victims ourselves.

Here are a few things you can do:

•     Take time and do a self-check-in: Recognize your thoughts and feelings, and how they might be affecting you.

•     Connect with trusted peeps and talk about it, for example, with friends, family, colleagues, religious leaders and congregation members.

•     Take care of yourself: Stress often drives unhealthy behaviors (alcohol, drugs, nicotine, overeating, unsafe sex, etc.). Get outside (don’t forget the raingear), get exercise, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. Consider taking a break from the news feed and social media.

•     Have empathy for others who may be experiencing emotional challenges that can impact their behavior. Help others by listening.

•     Don’t hesitate to reach out to professional counselors for a check in.

I personally find some solace in the strong sense of solidarity we have as a public health community committed to fight violence, in all of its manifestations, as a public health issue. It’s a long and difficult battle, to be sure, but a worthy one. I’ll close with timeless words from Martin Luther King. Peace. 

 The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence, you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.” Martin Luther King