Although it is time to wish everyone a "Happy New Year" with hopes for a great future, the news from Tucson, AZ is anything but happy.

After Saturday's horrific act of senseless violence, we all become "Monday Morning Quarterbacks" this particular Monday with our analysis of the events, our unqualified psychoanalysis of the gunman, and our opinions on the political climate of the day.

What surprises me each time something like this takes place on a college campus, in a public school, at a shopping mall, or in the workplace, we hear so much about what could have been done to avoid such a tragedy, but so few of us do anything to prevent the next mass murder.

Can anyone really predict when an unstable person will reach the brink and show up in a public place with the firepower of a police department?  Probably not.  There are unstable people around us every single day.  Should we stop our political discourse and no longer speak our minds for fear of lighting the wrong spark under the wrong person?  I don't think so.  Should we tone down the aggressive and offensive nature of some of those discussions and arguments and approach each other in a more civil and respectful manner?  I think respect for each other can go a long way.  Do we repeal the 2nd Amendment or surround our elected officials with armed guards when they are speaking in public or would that be overreaction?  

One step I suggest we all take is a simple one... When something doesn't look or feel right, speak up.  We know that it works in air travel - why not practice the same level of caution every day?  It is better to risk being briefly embarrassed for speaking up than to feel regret for an eternity for not doing so.  The reality is that we have been living in a very different world for many years, and we share the responsibility for keeping it as safe as possible under the circumstances.  

This is not a day to assign blame.  Just say a prayer for the victims and their families and vow to make the world a safer place for all of us.

As always, if we can help, please let us know.

- Lou G.