I just don't get it

Yesterday, I spent most of my afternoon watching the live coverage of the tragedy in Oak Creek. I have to admit I'm lost right now.

I can't figure it out.

I posted after the shootings in Colorado, about how being a movie lover that hit close to home for me. This literally hit close to home for me. Being from the Milwaukee area, I know there is violence in this city, but I don't think anyone anywhere in America expects to being sitting at home on a Sunday and be interrupted with the news that a madman had gone and shot up a temple while people were preparing to worship.

I started watching the coverage almost as soon as I got home from 11 o'clock mass at my local church.

It's weird that while many Americans practice a wide variety of faiths, many of them hold services on Sunday. It goes back to the shootings in Aurora too, where that could have been any movie at any theater in America. This situation isn't that different. This could have very easily been any place of worship in America.

But it's hard when it's people who are part of a local community you identify with, participating in services you identify with.

Why do people keep ruining the safe places? Are there any left? How do we make these places safe again? Is that even possible?

These are the kinds of questions that run through my head when things like this happen. These are ways I try and make sense of it. Often there aren't any answers. At least not ones that are readily available.

The other thing I don't understand. The media's over emphasis of the fact that Sikhs are not Muslims. I was watching the news last night and one of the members of the temple (who admittedly had been put through a day I could never imagine going through) becoming very upset and shouting at the reporter (who was not making any claims to this idea) that the Sikhs were not Muslim.

My question: Who cares? Would we all be going "Oh, well the guy shot a bunch of Muslims, so that's ok"?

Hell no.

This is America, damnit. People are free to practice their religion, and they should be free to do so without having to fear some nut is going to come in and start shooting the place up.

From that though, I know this issue will raise more questions about gun control. I believe people have the right to buy and own guns. I really believe that owning and operating a gun can be done responsibly. I think people who say we should simply outlaw guns are looking for an easy answer to a complex problem that goes beyond whether or not Americans should own guns.

(Sorry, don't like to get too political, but sometimes things need to be said.)

One thing I will agree on though is that this was a senseless act, and as we seem to be finding this summer, those are often the worst.