PTSD: A Nation Suffering From Continued Trauma

Summary: I know I’m not the only one who didn’t miss there being a continual litany of mass shootings during the past year. One of the few benefits to everything, and everyone, being locked down was that there were no large gatherings where anyone could shoot at people. What the events of the past two weeks seem to be telling us is that our national trigger finger was getting itchy. States had barely started talking about easing restrictions when BOOM, we have two significant shootings one week right after the other. Neither makes a lick of sense, they never do, and the useless response of politicians has become so predictable we can pretty much start quoting sources before they have a chance to speak. There are a number of worrisome points to the entire situation and one of those at the top of the list is the danger that these traumatic events become so frequent that our minds begin to glaze over the important details, such as the lives that are lost. The victims of this week’s shooting in Boulder, Colorado, ranged in age from 20 to 65. None were expecting that an act as simple as buying groceries or going to work would bring the end of their lives. No one ever does. 51-year-old Terri Liker has worked at the King Sooper store for over 30 years. On this particular morning, she was in one of her favorite positions bagging groceries. She loved the people who shopped there and doing things for them. 25-year-old Rikki Olds had finally moved out on her own thanks to her position as front-end manager at the store. The oldest of three siblings, she was raised by her grandparents and stopped regularly to check on them. Denny Strong was the youngest victim at 20. He had worked at the store since he was in high school. He dreamed of becoming a pilot and was working extra shifts to save money for fuel. Interestingly enough, he was also a strong gun rights advocate. Former New York photo director Lynn Murray was at the store filling an Instacart order. She enjoyed the less-hectic pace of life in Boulder. Her two adult children remember how she doted on them and made them the best Halloween costumes. 61-year-old Kevin Mahoney was a former Chief Operating Officer in the hotel industry and the father of Erika Mahoney, news director for KUZA public radio. She posted pictures of him smiling as he walked her down the aisle at her wedding last summer and spoke of his excitement over her pregnancy. 23-year-old Nevin Stanisic was the son of Serbian refugees who moved here hoping to escape the violence of their home country. Nevin was in the store repairing machines at the Starbucks, often working with and alongside his father, but his father was not with him that day. Suzanne Fountain, 59, was known to her neighbors as an avid gardener who always shared her excess. She was especially proud of a peach tree she had planted. When not gardening, Ms. Fountain helped people turning 65 navigate their way through all the forms and paperwork they needed to file. Lonna Bartkowiak managed her sister’s boutique, Umba, where she sold yoga and festival wear. She enjoyed attending festivals such as Burning Man and had recently become engaged. She had only gone to the store to pick up a prescription when the shooting began. She was 49. Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley has gotten plenty of attention as the first officer on the scene, shot before backup had a chance to arrive. The father of seven might be best remembered as one of three officers recorded rescuing a duck and her ducklings from a sewer drain last year. His wife says he was actively looking for a new job that wouldn’t put him in so much da...

PTSD: A Nation Suffering From Continued Trauma

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