Ordinary People

Throughout my long career as a reporter, it has always bothered me that when my work was done, my story shot and written, my live shot with the victim’s home perfectly framed over my shoulder finished – my camera person and I simply left.  Went home.  Back to our own, presumably comfortable and hopefully loving lives. Leaving the victim(s) of some awful event trying desperately and miserably to cope with his/her/their tragedy.

I didn’t cover yesterday’s shocking and tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.  I didn’t have to face anyone’s grieving, unbelieving loved ones.  But I couldn’t sleep last night anyhow. 

I couldn’t forget that the 12 people who were murdered and the three who were hospitalized (out of the 8 hurt in the rampage) were just ordinary people. Many civilian employees or contractors.  They left home yesterday morning in the same way they always did. By car or bus or Metro or train. Said an ordinary “‘bye – see you tonight” to roommates, spouses, partners, kids, dogs, cats, birds.  THEY JUST WENT TO WORK!  And they didn’t come home last night.  12 of them never will.

Ordinary people. You, me, the guy down the block, the woman who sits next to you at the office.  Ordinary people with ordinary lives. Their lives.  That a man named Aaron Alexis – whom we are now learning kept his security clearance despite reportedly growing mental problems and past run-ins with the law – cruelly took from them for no reason that we know at this point. 

Because the shooter was himself killed by responding police we may never know his motive for the killing spree. But even if we find out, in the end it won’t change anything.

12 ordinary people living ordinary lives are dead. They will never be able to live those lives – THEIR LIVES – again.