Maine's Suspected Mass Shooter Found Dead

The initial news reports seemed to vary wildly in this one. There were reports that he had killed at least 20 people and injured dozens more. Also, there were reports that he had gone into a Walmart at some point and opened fire, although I heard that officially refuted by Walmart on the night when these tragedies actually occurred.

In fact, he killed 18 people and wounded 13. And he did travel and spread his violence, although most of it, as I understand it, was based in a bowling alley.

Well, the suspect was found dead yesterday, after initially eluding law enforcement. 

So another mass shooting has taken place, and there will be more tragic scenes and pictures of loved ones mourning those who were killed from yet another senseless act of mass violence.

It will likely not be followed by any serious action on any level, either statewide, but especially on a national level. Sometimes, it feels like this is a record that keeps skipping and playing the same part of a song over and over again. It is maddening, but nevertheless, it also feels inevitable.

There is little that I can say at this point. We really should be better than this. Yet, the evidence suggests that, as a nation, we are not. It just keeps happening here, time and time again, while other nations are not plagued with this. Everyone has their list to beliefs for why this seems to happen so much more often here than anywhere else.

But it sickens me to discuss this. Again, there really feels like little to say anymore without sounding like a broken record myself. 

Again, my heart goes out to the victims and the families, who are going through their own personal hell right now.

Maybe someday, we can actually fix this. At the moment, however, it appears that we are collectively incapable of that. 

It is a national failure.  Until we collectively recognize the truth of this and finally decide to actually do something meaningful to resolve it, these tragedies will keep happening. And on some level, then, we are all collectively to blame for these recurring tragedies.