Five lives lost in a sacred space. Others still unaccounted for. And before the smoke cleared in Grand Blanc, the blame game began.
As a retired Navy veteran and lifelong steward of civic and family memory, I’ve seen how tragedy can unite communities—or fracture them further. The recent shootings, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the attack on an LDS chapel, should have prompted mourning, reflection, and restraint. Instead, we saw partisan voices rush to assign blame: left-wing extremism, immigration policy, even entire faith groups.
This is not stewardship. It’s scapegoating.
The LDS Church’s call for peace and unity stands in stark contrast to the inflammatory rhetoric now circulating online. We must amplify that call. We must reject the meme-like misinformation that fills the vacuum before facts emerge. And we must remember that truth is not partisan.
Utah has long been a place of sanctuary—spiritually and civically. Let us not trade that legacy for soundbites and suspicion. Let us honor the victims by refusing to politicize their pain.
Clint Dunn
Dayton, Idaho