UMW community stands with the victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting

By THE BLUE AND GRAY PRESS STAFF

Around 10:08 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 1, a mass shooting occurred at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas leaving over 500 injured and at least 59 dead according to ABC News. The event has marked one of the deadliest mass shootings to take place in modern U.S. history. Similar events have taken place recently throughout the world such as the suicide bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester and the fatal shooting of ‘Voice’ singer Christina Grimmie last year.

It is becoming increasingly clear that events such as these are occurring more frequently. Too many attacks have taken place at public gatherings, containing large quantities of unsuspecting people, to be ignored. In 2017 alone, Fox News reported the explosion on the London tube, a van running through a crowd in Barcelona in addition to one in London followed by a market stabbing, the Champs Elysees attack in Paris, the Stockholm truck attack, the Saint Petersburg bombing, the Westminster Bridge attack, and the Louvre knife attack.

It is unnerving to know that many of these events have taken place in such small and localized areas, by attackers with the intent to kill. Just weeks ago on Saturday, Sept. 12 the attack on anti-racist protestors occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, a city that is less than two hours away from Fredericksburg and the UMW campus. Knowing that an attack could easily happen anywhere, like in Fredericksburg, and at anytime is alarming to say the absolute least.

In light of these attacks, it is important to note that events on campus like UMW Unites against White Supremacy, the discussion of a possible firearms club, and the unifying show of support against the swastika note as well as the swastika graffiti, all symbolize an important UMW value: an ability to address, discuss, listen and respect and embrace differences.

The Blue and Gray Press strives to uphold these values and spark conversation on subjects that are difficult and even painful to address, in hopes that as a community, events like those in Las Vegas and throughout the rest of the world will motivate our community to unite and be a part of the change needed in the world.