Thoughts and prayers

Thoughts and prayers for all those killed, their families, classmates, friends.

Unless they don’t grieve the way we want them to or dare to speak their minds.

That is something we simply can't abide.

If these kids don't know they're place, I guess we'll have to show it to them.

We'll have to generalize, dehumanize, and rationalize them away.

We'll question their motives, their legitimacy, their worthiness.

We'll call them soulless liars who didn't get smacked enough as kids.

We'll laugh at their shortcomings and misfortunes.

We'll label them lesbian skinheads, crisis actors, and Tide pod eaters.

We'll say they play too many violent video games.

We'll suggest they learn CPR.

We'll stereotype their generation the way we always do.

We'll idealize, sensationalize, and sentimentalize our own younger years.

We'll blame them for what happened. If only they were nicer, people wouldn't want them dead.

We'll ostracize, demonize, and minimize their pain.

How dare they think the rest of us owe them anything?

How dare they demand more than hollow words?

That’s not how this works.

The sooner they realize that, the sooner we can move on to the next group of people

And offer them our thoughts and prayers.