In Las Vegas on Sunday night, thousands gathered to enjoy country music and to perhaps escape life’s daily cares for an hour or two.
A malicious soul bent on destroying that experience opened fire, taking the lives of at least 58 and injuring hundreds more in the nation’s most deadly mass shooting in modern history. As Las Vegas revelry turned to mourning on Monday and the nation began to process the horror of this heinous atrocity, President Donald Trump rightly condemned it as “an act of pure evil.”
We bemoan the wounded and dead, as well as the heartache brought to their families. We also acknowledge the many first responders, both professionals and civilians, who sacrificed time and energy to control the situation and aid the wounded victims.
As important as searching for the “why” today is consoling the grieving, burying the dead and seeking to restore some semblance of hope to the hundreds of lives left physically and emotionally maimed.
The nation has come together to denounce what has happened.
But more challenging will be to engage civilly in the weeks and months ahead in the political discussions that inevitably follow such an incident. America must not resort to violent words even as it discusses a violent act.
As citizens seek to balance safety and a free and open society in the aftermath of this violent rampage, voices in the public square would do well to reverence the loss of life and not unduly politicize the tragedy.
We echo the statement released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns this paper, sending prayers on behalf of those in mourning and recovery: “May God bless them with the peace and comfort only He can provide in such tragic and heartbreaking moments.”
Even if citizens and politicians cannot find common ground on political issues, they can search out common ground in the manner they engage with each other. For now, the nation can unite in prayer and care for victims and their families. They can support those who mourn the loss of loved ones and they can try to bring about greater peace even amidst the chaos caused by such unconscionable evil.