It's time to stop talking about it.

It's been a tough year for my homeland. A little too much tragedy for most of us to handle, and it seems as though every time we are just beginning to heal something else happens.

And on top of everything, any efforts to gain some sort of progress from these experiences continues to be impeded - for reasons that are still slightly confusing and utterly disheartening.

But we cannot give up. And we cannot give in to those that would seek to terrorize us or to go out in a "blaze of glory".

We have to stop talking about it - at least via social media. Face-to-face discussion is one thing and, yes, sometimes we need to share information in order to aid police or to encourage others to stay safe, but the majority of what we have been seeing is unnecessary. And spreading it around only serves to magnify the effects of the crime.

We cannot let that happen. And we CAN stop it. It is up to US to prevent the media from spreading further panic and from rewarding abhorrent behavior. It is up to US to stop sharing meaningless and speculative articles over the internet. It is up to US to ensure that the memories of people who commit horrendous crimes are limited, so that we might deter others from seeking out a similar infamy.

It is also up to us to focus our attentions and our efforts on learning from our experiences and effecting change to prevent further tragedy. It is in our interest to promote peace in our words, through our actions, and especially by making our desires known to those that represent us in government.

The way to heal is by looking forward. Dwelling on insignificant details about the past will not make us feel better - but it will promote the interests of those who desperately want us to be afraid.

Terrorism is "an intensely media-specific phenomenon," and "when [media outlets] uncritically respond they are serving as the agents of the terrorists, the megaphones of the terrorists." - Jerrold Post, Director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University (http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/how-media-coverage-influences-terrorism)

So, please, stop talking about it. Stop spreading the message of fear. Stop placing power in the hands of people who don't deserve it and start promoting peace.


I wish you all so much peace, and love.