By the amazing Mpadgett80
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It has taken me a great deal of time to figure out how to put my thoughts onto paper, primarily because I don't think there are words that can fully express how I feel about the recent tragedy in Las Vegas, but also because I know my thoughts may not be readily accepted or understood by many – in fact, there is a good chance I'm going to offend someone in the coming paragraphs.  That said, please know it is not my intention to do so, but if I'm not honest what is the point in writing to begin with?

First, I think a little lesson in Constitutional history is in order, especially for those who do not live in the US and may not fully understand why we do what we do.  At first glance, our government may not make sense to a lot of people, but for us it works.  Make no mistake, it's far from perfect, but it's also not as bad as the media would have you believe (especially if you live abroad and don't walk our streets daily.)  Our Constitution sets the framework for our government, a government literally run by the people.  We vote for representatives, we vote for our leader (like them or not, they are our leader), we vote for laws on a local level, and many other things that regulate our lives.

The Legislative branch (Congress and Senate) of our government creates bills that are voted on, and if approved they are enacted as law or regulation.  The states may also do so, as long as they do not contradict federal law.  Our Executive branch (President, Vice President and Cabinet) are the leaders of the nation, the ones tasked with leading our military, interacting in foreign affairs, etc.  Our Judicial branch (Supreme Court) is the highest court in the land and is asked with determining the constitutionality of laws.

Our Constitution is the backbone of our nation.  This piece of paper was drafted in an effort to ensure that we were never again run by a radical, greedy, or far-reaching government (like I said, it isn't perfect but we try).  There are amendments in the Constitution that are basic laws, the first ten of which we call the Bill of Rights.  These rights are considered inalienable, and have served our country well.  The amendment that pops into the forefront of everyone's mind after an event such as Las Vegas, is the second amendment which states "...a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

What does that mean?  It means we have the right to own a firearm, no questions asked.  Why?  Because in terms of history, it wasn't that long ago that a merciless King in England thought he could slaughter us to get us to bend to his will.  Our founding fathers wanted our country to always remain free, and to ensure a country remains free it must be ready to defend itself against those who would attempt to turn on it – its government, for example.  Constitutionally, we have the right to overthrow our government if it becomes tyrannical (and in more modern language, to protect ourselves from anyone who would do us harm).  That scares a lot of people, especially people who live in countries where firearms are banned for private use.

Now, here's where things get dicey.  The man who killed in Vegas obtained his firearms illegally, and the arms he purchased were illegal in our country to begin with.  His purchase of an automatic weapon was done on the black market, and no law would have prevented his assault on the innocents at that concert.  Period.  I am disheartened when I hear people say that it could have, because truly – evil will do as evil will do, and no good intention will stop it.  And that brings me to my next point.

Whenever I hear "what has this world come to" or "what have we become," I instinctively cringe.  Why?  Because I abhor being categorized in the same faction as a sociopathic, homicidal maniac hellbent on destruction and chaos.  Humans as a whole are not evil at their core, and to say the world has reached some evil of epic proportions is tantamount to saying all is lost for the human race.

If history tells us anything it is things can always get worse – OR they can get better.  When Hitler invaded his European neighbors the world stood against his regime and fought for the liberation of innocent, defenseless souls.  When the events of September 11, 2001, took place on American soil, people banded together as a unified America – one people for all people.  Our allies around the globe stepped up to help us recover, and for that we are forever grateful.  And perhaps it is in those moments we should question, why can't it always be this way?

Why can't we always support one another?  Why can't we always lift each other up?  The truth is, we do.  It may go unnoticed in the large scale, but in the small scale YOU make a difference every single day.  When you smile at a stranger or speak to someone in the grocery store line, you make a difference.  It doesn't take a grandiose display of love or kindness, only a small gesture to start the butterfly effect.  And anyone can do it, even the sarcastic, snarky, introverted bitchy people like me have it in them to say the right thing, to smile at someone, to offer help to someone in their time of need.

It is easy to focus on the death tolls and argue about what could have been done or what we can do to prevent this in the future (and it warrants mentioning, massacres are not a new thing, despite what the media would have you believe).  But in times like these I tend to stop listening to the radio and the television and focus on one thing – God.  I know, not everyone believes in God, but you believe in something, right?  In the very least, you believe that YOU are a decent, good person.

As a whole, people are good.  People jumped on top of total strangers to protect them from the gunfire.  People kept running back into the field to pull others to safety.  People opened up their hotel rooms to house those who had nowhere to go.  During 9/11, civilians saved firefighters and police officers, civilians ran into burning buildings to save people they had never met before – and some gave their lives doing so.  A group of passengers on a plane voted unanimously to attack a terrorist and crash the plane into the ground to save who knows how many lives?

The truth is, Stephen Paddock was a sick man, whether he committed the Vegas mass shooting under some false sense of entitlement, because he was radicalized by a hate group, or for another reason – he was a sick man.  Every human has the capacity to do bad, but we hold a far greater capacity for love if we only allow ourselves the opportunity.

It's difficult, believe me, I know.  I was once convinced the world was going to hell in a handcart.  It was easy to believe everything I read or saw on television, to believe that everyone was out to get me and to hate – yes, to hate.  I did, once upon a time I hated things I did not understand. 

Lucky for me, I decided to talk to God about it and little by little I saw the light.  Little things, but things that I added up in my mind that became something much larger than myself.  The elderly woman I held a door for when no one else did, it made her day.  The teenage boy who stopped to help me pick up the folders I'd dropped in a parking lot.  The black man who made my white child laugh in the grocery store line when she was having a tantrum.  The neighbor who collects my mail when I'm out of town, even though I don't ask her to.  The smiling face of my Muslim friend who wouldn't hurt a fly.  The police officer who bought my coffee at Starbucks, because I bought his partner a cookie when she was crying at a table over an especially bad day on the street.

It's in all of that – it's everywhere.  Hope.  Hope that your small good deeds make a difference in someone's life.  Hope that this isn't the end of humanity, but the beginning of learning from our mistakes.  Hope.  Just hope.