When a person stops valuing life, a part of him ceases to be bound by love, decency, and respect, by rational thought, and the thought of others.
When a person stops valuing life, their bond to the rest of humankind is broken. No law or rule will repair that bond. And though it may give us a false sense of comfort, no law or rule will prevent the bond to humanity from being broken.
The only way to fight such darkness is by living a life connected to others; by valuing others and placing value in ourselves; by living in the light of hope and optimism, and doing what we can to bring others into that light.
The tragedy in Las Vegas, and indeed, in every tragic moment we face as people, is healed not through words on paper, but by the power of connecting with others out of compassion; by forging new bonds of human kindness and strengthening the old ones, so that we all can lift our heads high, and take another step into the light life has to offer.
This also originally posted to my Facebook account, and later shared as a post on my political website and the Reform Party of Virginia blog.
