EDITORIAL: Kindness Matters

We saw a bumper sticker this week that says "Wag More, Bark Less." It sparked a memory from the VHS tapes you would get at the video rental store that were marked with the word "Be Kind. Rewind." Two message, same idea of kindness.

In the span of seven days, there were three mass shootings in the country. Three that made the national news. Not to mention the countless other shootings that don't make the national news because it's "only" one or two people who get hurt or killed.

Our hearts break for the victims and the families of both victims and shooters. In the wake of these tragedies, people are quick to place blame. These tragedies fuel the debate over guns, immigration and other issues the country faces.

Sadly, these incidents are becoming more prevalant. Will it come to the point that it loses its shock factor and seeing a mass shooting on the nightly news is just something we come to expect? We sure hope not.

So what can we do to stop this from happening? Take notice, foster kindness and help others. Instead of pointing fingers, get involved. A grandmother in Texas last month convinced her grandson to go to a hospital and seek help after he bought an AK-47 and said he was going to shoot up a hotel. That grandmother saved lives by paying attention and playing an active role in her grandson's life. If people are reaching out for help, it's important that someone is there to grab them, to help lead them back to safety, before they hurt someone else.

Kindness matters. And if we all show a little more and help reduce the anger we see in today's society, maybe we won't have to mourn any more victims.