SCATTERBRAINED: I Might Be Wrong

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Francisco E. Jimenez

Francisco E. Jimenez

“I read the news today, oh boy… ”

The famous opening line from The Beatles classic, “A Day In The Day” echoes the sentiments I have felt almost every day this week, the sentiments I feel at this moment as I watch my Twitter feed flow with updates regarding a manhunt for one of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers.

Those were the lyrics playing through my head when I read about the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion. Those were the lyrics playing through my head when I read about the Senate failing to pass a bipartisan compromise on background checks when purchasing firearms.

What a terrible week to be an American.

What a terrible week to be a human.

The images are still fresh in my mind – a man in a wheelchair being pushed to safety with nothing below his knees exempt a bloody bone and skin barely hanging off; a photo of a young boy smiling with “Rest In Peace” inscribed at the bottom; video footage of a fertilizer plant exploding and the screams of a child. It’s all stomach turning.

What’s even more upsetting is the response of some people. Jokes made at the expense of the victims in said incidents. I understand that humor is the best medicine, especially when you consider the circumstances, but I can’t help it if I feel a little angry when I read people post things like, “I heard the people at the Boston Marathon had a blast… ”

I also have little (none) respect for people trying to politicize these incidents. I recall seeing a photo which showed children from the Sandy Hook Elementary and the Boston Marathon bombing with text that read something to the extent of, “Bomb goes off, bombers blamed; school shooting, guns blamed.”

Are you kidding me? Is this what we have become?

How stupid does a person have to be to believe such a ridiculous statement, this is coming from a guy who not only locked his keys in his truck but failed to turn off the ignition.

We can’t even go one day after a tragedy without drawing political lines? (And for the record, the gunner was blamed.) Regardless of your political views, I think we can all agree that now is the time for unity, not division. I’m not saying to go hug a stranger (unless that’s your thing). I’m just saying that as Americans, we’re better than this. As humans, we’re better than this. Trust me when I say that I am the last person to worry about whether or not the things I say may be construed as offensive, but come on… really?

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