| BY MEGAN SCHRADER
MSCHRADER@DENVERPOST.COM / @MEGANSCHRADER Every American I know just wants the senseless violence to stop. We want children to be safe in school, and public figures to be safe at their debates and speeches. It's hard not to be discouraged about the arc of humanity when two students get shot in their high school in Evergreen because another student believed in some twisted nihilistic view of humanity and spent his time online sharing white supremacist and antisemitic opinions. Meanwhile, just across the border in Utah, Charlie Kirk was assassinated in a politically motivated killing that was captured on video and shared around the world. Two young children had to bury their father because politics in America have spiraled beyond disagreement into hatred and anger. But when I look around me, I don't see a society chomping at the bit to
hurt one another. I see friends and family helping in hard times, kindness, and community even in the face of intense disagreement and a mutual fear for the future of America. Certainly, we have our bad apples, but
we cannot give up on the dream of a society that solves our disagreements with words and not with violence. Nor can we surrender the dream of a society that keeps guns out of the hands of deranged killers while helping people get the mental health treatment they need to join us in a civil contract to live in peace. Have hope for better days. Want to sound off on a topic? Tap here to submit a letter to the editor or email your letter to openforum@denverpost.com.
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