Letter: Communication might be a way to keep people safe

Editor,

The two mass shootings this week have me wondering about just what is going on in the U.S. lately.

Over the last few years we’ve seen mass shootings at nearly every type of gathering. It makes me sad because as incidents like this have occurred more frequently, I just don’t feel comfortable leaving my house.

And I know I’m not the only one.

I grew up in a small town in Northern Michigan, and now I live in Oak Harbor. Neither one is the kind of place where you would expect something like this to happen, and because of that, it is easy to become complacent and think that an incident could never happen here. But that thinking is just wrong, these incidents are happening everywhere.

Over the coming days there will be plenty of finger pointing and accusations about whose fault it is and who failed to keep us safe. People will cry for more gun control, but the truth of the matter is, gun control is not the issue or the answer. Bad people with bad intentions will always find a way to do bad things. If it isn’t a gun, it will be some other weapon.

I don’t have a foolproof answer on how to prevent these incidents except to say that we need to talk to one another. Check in on your family and friends. If something doesn’t seem right, say something and step in if you have to. Your friend may be more in need of your help than you know.

And you never know, the simple act of showing that you are concerned may just be enough to stop another tragedy like this from unfolding where you live.

Joseph Kroll

Oak Harbor