I am really tired. Tired of violence. Tired of living in fear.

Tired of constant sadness and grief. I'm tired of worrying about whether my younger brothers will come home safe from campus or feeling uneasy at the mosque. I'm tired of some in our society not realizing that gun violence at this level is beyond alarming. I am tired that this kind of violence is still not widely considered extremism. I’m tired of us giving attention to the perpetrator and not the conditions that led to it. I’m tired of my country not honoring the victims by using faith as a part of healing and yet not heeding the words of faith as a form of preventative action. Whether it’s the Quran saying killing one life is the killing of all mankind, or how Matthew and Exodus command “You shall not murder,” over and over again in the Bible, we don’t really seem to follow through. So much #thoughtsandprayers. We are all tired, but we aren't defeated. But we need our awareness, our votes and our calls for action to be in full force more than ever.

Saira Bhatti

Centreville