When there is hate and violence in our communities, it’s up to each of us to speak up

On Tuesday night, after I reviewed my daughter’s homework, I tucked her into bed and hugged her a little bit tighter and a little bit longer.

What happened in Uvalde, Texas, is a parent’s absolute worst nightmare. You send your child out and they don’t return.

As the mother of a 9-year-old, like so many people, I was horrified by the pure evil that walked into that school and stole the lives of babies. They were babies, fresh off recess in a place that should be safe ground for them.

Tonight some parents won’t get to hug their babies like I did last night. They won’t get the chance to ask what I ask every day: How was school today, sweetie?

When I talked to my 9-year-old about the tragedy, she told me the shooter was going to hell then she said she didn’t want to talk about it anymore because she wouldn’t be able to sleep.

As the mother of an elementary school student — a fourth-grader — and a leader in the South Florida community, I do want to talk about it.

The tragedy struck just 10 days after our nation was saddened by a deadly, racist-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.

A day after Buffalo, there was another tragic shooting in a church as Asian families in Southern California gathered to celebrate the return of a pastor from a mission trip to Taiwan. This one was allegedly politically motivated.

I lived in Taiwan as a child, the daughter of an Air Force airman.

Buffalo was painful. California hurt again.

Texas hit me even harder. That could have been my 9-year-old.

I do want to talk about it.

There’s so much to be said.

But something in particular struck me as an unfortunate theme in these most recent tragedies and other mass shootings. There were early warning signs that something wasn’t right. Someone knew something but said nothing.

It’s been reported that the Buffalo shooter posted comments in a chatroom before the massacre.

There were notes found in the car of the shooter who entered the California sanctuary.

In Texas, the Associated Press reported that the shooter hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, noting that “the kids should watch out.”

A grocery store.

A church.

A school.

I’ve said this to South Florida readers before and now I’m issuing a call to action — begging you to speak up. Use your voice. Don’t let hate and evil win in our communities.

Have your opinions, debate your rights fairly, but it’s simply not right to see something and do nothing when you suspect something is strange, weird, odd, or just off.

You know when something isn’t right and when you know it, do something about it.

We have to stop letting people get away with hate speech and threatening action. It’s not OK.

Talk about it.

Speak up.

Challenge it.

The hate may be in your home with family members. It may be at your dining room table over dinner with friends. It may be in the break room with your co-workers. It may be on your Facebook timeline or in your Twitter thread. Stop excusing their behavior. This is where change can start.

I’m not suggesting this is all it would have taken to prevent the horrific tragedies in Buffalo and Texas, or any of the tragedies in our nation’s past.

And it’s certainly not the only call to action, but it’s a start.

It’s not up to someone else, it’s up to each of us.

The next time you hear a racial slur or words of violence, challenge it.

It’s everyone’s job to create environments and communities that are safer and more compassionate. It’s up to each of us to create a culture that challenges violence.

Recognize the signs, take them seriously and act immediately.

Speaking up could save a life, protect a child.