The blame game

As the stories of tragedy after tragedy fill our televisions and computers, most of us are compelled to ask "why?".  Why does this continue to happen and how long is this going to go on?  Almost immediately, the blame game ensues.  It seems everyone who is speaking out wants to blame guns or police or politicians or religions or bigots. The blame game seems so senseless to me.  In fact, it is worse than senseless, in that it deepens the vast gaps that already separate us.  Almost everyone agrees that killing innocent people isn't right.  The only people who truly believe that are either mentally ill or pure evil.  The rest of us need to be protected from those people.  What I need to do is think about what I can do.  I can pray for the families that have been busted apart by the violence.  I can examine myself to try to root out any trace of hate, prejudice or bigotry, and I can try to do something today for someone else instead of only focusing on myself.  Please pray for me.