August 20, 2020
Recently, I attended an in-person funeral at a local cemetery.
Nearby was the grave of one of the kids killed in the Stoneman Douglas massacre. I went over to pay my respects. The grave area was covered with stuffed animals, flowers, and painted stones, some with the name. I was surprised at the intensity of my own emotions looking at this youngster’s grave and the memories it brought back of that fateful day. Tears quickly swelled up in my eyes even though I did not know this teenager.
This tragedy that happened almost two and one-half years ago has not lessened in its impact on our community. Despite, the protests, politics, virus and economic issues, we are still affected by what happened that Valentine’s Day. I didn’t even know the kids but I did know the community. I do now know some of the other students who were in the classroom and their families because they are my patients.
Maybe we all need to take a trip to the cemetery to remind us of what hatred, mental illness, and political machinations can do. Perhaps, such a trip will motivate us to put an end to these root causes of violence.
