It’s a national tragedy when places of worship become places of bloodshed.
It’s a national tragedy when an act of prayer requires security, alarms and police presence out of fear for the safety of one’s life and community.
It’s a national tragedy when we do not know the names of those killed and injured.
It’s a national tragedy when those on our screens and in our papers, delivering us the news, end up almost being greater culprits of racism, bigotry and hate than the perpetrators of violence.
It’s a national tragedy when they try to teach you how to profile properly based on clothing, color and religion.
It’s a national tragedy when your country’s leaders exemplify their inability to be actual leaders for all the people they claim to want to represent.
It’s a national tragedy when there is an actual debate, every time such a violence is unleashed, on whether characterizations of certain acts of violence are best designated to certain people of different colors and faith.
It’s a national tragedy when skin color, religion, language and clothing hold us from being empathetic towards fellow citizens.
Illustration by Me
Hold us from making them us and us them – ridding ourselves of that space in between, created by a wedge of opportunism and ignorance.
It’s a national tragedy when skin color, religion, language and clothing dictate what our national tragedies are.
The Cool Table 
“It’s a national tragedy when skin color, religion, language and clothing dictate what our national tragedies are.” Thank you, Sana, for being so compelling and clear.
Yes. This.
It’s a national tragedy when the overwhelming majority of citizens have to be told it’s a national tragedy because they are unable, immune or otherwise walled off from the community of people no matter where they live, their origin or they lifestyle.
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