Shooting too close to home...

Ugh!!! I'm standing outside the auditorium where my niece is about to have her dance show. Walking in a familiar neighborhood, one I've been in hundreds of times. My dad played football in the stadium on this street. I walked the hallways enrolled as a student in these buildings. I learned how to do football play by play in the seats of Corsair Stadium. Just a few years ago I was here to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of SMCC football's undefeated season. For a moment it all comes together for me. I'm across the street from Santa Monica College. This is home to me, and a couple days ago someone intentionally killed people in this neighborhood and on this campus. All I did was drive down to Santa Monica to see my niece's dance recital and BAM!...this is part of my experience. What's the lesson in this for me, I wonder. This isn't supposed to happen, anywhere, but especially not in my hometown. Everyone feels this way when a tragedy strikes their hood. Now that I've been through this recent tragedy, I'm even more sure that it happening close to home makes the wound deeper, more personal and more painful. There isn't a place in this country, or in this world, that this should be allowed to happen. I'm mad, I'm sad and I'm confused. What can we do to keep our people safe, on our streets, in our neighborhoods, in our football stadiums, in our classrooms, in our libraries, and on our sidewalks? I don't have a solution right now. But, I know we must, as a community, as a society find a way to stop this mess. This is not acceptable behavior, no matter what or who you would like to place blame upon. We must STOP THE MADNESS! I'm standing here, across the street. I see caution tape, news vans and news reporters, I don't like it, not at all!