I’ve stayed off social media the past couple of days. I knew that what happened on 09.10.2025 would become another polarizing moment in our country’s history. And with 09.11 right after, my heart has been heavy.
I’ll never forget where I was on 09.11. I was in my mid twenties, watching NBC with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer beside my brother. At first, I thought he had turned on a new movie. I had just stepped out of the shower, hair still wrapped in a towel, and I remember saying to myself, “Wow… this looks so real.” Then I looked over at my brother, and the expression on his face told me the truth: This was real. I called Torey, who wasn’t with me at the time, and I told him I was scared. The uncertainty in his voice is still crystal clear in my memory. That moment is seared.
So no, I didn’t ignore what happened with Charlie Kirk. I couldn’t. I tried to pause and process, but it wasn’t easy. What I saw was shocking and gruesome. I actually got lightheaded… because as much as I can stomach gore in a movie, real life is a different story. My heart sank knowing his family witnessed it. That kind of trauma is unmatched, unexpected, and life-changing. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Truly.
And yet, I saw the backlash online. I understand… people have strong opinions and want to be heard. But no matter what you thought of him, no one deserves to lose their life like that. He was a husband, a father, a son. He was human.
It breaks my heart that this tragedy happened right before a day that is supposed to bring us together in remembrance. Instead of finding unity, we are pushed further apart.
I remember in 2001, when my grandmother passed away. My dad and his siblings struggled to get her body back to India to rest beside my grandfather. Because of the aftermath of 09.11, it took weeks… weeks of pain layered on top of grief. And yet even in that moment, I remember feeling a shared heaviness with the entire country. We were hurting, together.
That’s what I wish we could hold onto again: our shared humanity. We don’t have to agree on everything. We never will. But we can choose respect. We can choose not to let our beliefs turn into hate or violence. Peace and acceptance should not be too much to ask for.
This country used to feel like it belonged to all of us, like something to be proud of. Now, for so many, that pride has turned into past tense. And that’s heartbreaking.
Since I started writing this blog to process my grief over losing T-Mitch, I’ll end with him. I know in my heart that by now, he would have stepped into politics, determined to make a difference (even though I wasn’t thrilled about the idea, for reasons of my own!). But that was him… passionate, driven, ready to fight for what he believed was right. I miss him every day.
All I can say is: we’re all still human. Let’s act like it.
Belligerent Gus 
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