"Shock turns to sadness, which turns to anger, which turns to frustration, which turns to abject sorrow. I know I'm not alone in this cycle. His shooting death was horrific. And there are times I could kick myself for watching that gruesome video. I'm someone who hates violence, who has always recoiled from confrontation, who can't bear to see people hurt, both physically or emotionally. Even at the age of 61, I can't fathom why people are so cruel to one another."
"The other morning, I was running along the Hudson River. Out in the middle floated a massive barge. When it passed, violent waves suddenly crashed against the shoreline, leaping over rocks and greenery, soaking the sidewalk and slowing my stride. That's what the Kirk assassination has felt like: a giant barge of trauma, each wave amplified by social media, crashing over us again and again."
Emotions cycled from shock to sadness, anger, frustration, and abject sorrow after the Charlie Kirk assassination. The shooting death was horrific, and watching the gruesome video produced regret. A lifelong aversion to violence and confrontation magnified the distress, with disbelief that people can be so cruel even at age 61. Witnessing violence, cruelty, and hatred left emotional and physical bruises. The country feels like it is slipping away from democracy toward autocracy rapidly. A massive barge metaphor captures recurring trauma as waves, amplified by social media, threatening decency and freedom of speech. Exhaustion from confronting extreme-right hate and escalating division is palpable.
#charlie-kirk-assassination #trauma-and-grief #social-media-amplification #threats-to-democracy #anti-lgbtq-targeting
Read at Advocate.com
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