It was our second to last meeting of one of my classes. My group and I decided to meet in a study room down the hall for part of class. As we walked out of the classroom, someone yelled, “Try not to get shot!” A nervous energy filled the classroom and my classmates and I were in shock. Did that person really just say that? That Wednesday was also the day of the San Bernardino shooting, where 14 people were killed and 22 people were injured. This person meant it as a joke. Maybe by turning gun violence into a laughing matter was the only way for this person to process the tragic event. Who would think there would be a mass shooting thirty minutes from Claremont? But, any sort of joke involving shootings isn’t a laughing matter. Many people around the world encounter violence in their communities daily. Each day for them is a matter of survival to avoid shootings, bombings and being caught in armed conflicts. Just look at Syria and Iraq. Also, many Americans, particularly people of color, have been victims to police violence. We’ve seen people of color being harassed or even killed for no reason. We need to realize that “trying not to get shot” is a reality that people are experiences constantly, whether in the United States or Internationally.
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