Definition of Tradegy

A mother cries and is helped away by men dressed in dark suits. One of the men was the father doing all he could to maintain strength. To their left, a group of three young ladies huddle together—tied by a spiral of moans and tears. Downward, their corkscrew of bereavement seems to flow to a small memorial composed of flowers, signs, and a stuffed animal. This is a scene that accurately captures the word “tragedy”.
Tragedy is the most accurate way to describe what happened to Jasmine Lynn. She was a sophomore at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, and on Thursday, September 3rd a series of stray bullets were fired—one bullet landing in her chest and taking her life. Jasmine’s death occurred on The Promenade, a popular hangout spot for students of the Atlanta University Center (Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark-Atlanta University). Moreover, the shots were fired as a result of a confrontation between some young men, a dispute that had absolutely nothing to do with her.
A look at the maliciousness and senselessness behind her death is where we begin to understand tragedy. Then, we begin to apply a concept called “empathy”, and things appear a little clearer. Before that night, Jasmine Lynn was more than a college student, a colleague, a friend, a sister, or even a daughter. She was a normal human being.
She got up in the morning, brushed her teeth, and picked out an outfit for the day. She had meals in her room, a restaurant, maybe even the school cafeteria. She sent text messages to her friends, probably checked her e-mail. She could have watched some television, checked her Facebook page, or got some studying in. Then, she decided to go hang out.
The next thing we hear of her is what the rumors speculate and what the Atlanta Journal Constitution(AJC) reports, but, in our minds what do we see? We see a young lady out in the casual flow of social interaction. We see bullet burst from the mouth of a gun. We see her look death right in its face, the last thing she would see in her life. Afterwards, her eyes close and never re-open—tragedy.
Jasmine’s death is a tragedy, not simply because it was a killing. It is sad to say, but killing and death occur around us all of the time. The tragedy comes from the fact that this happened to a normal young lady, and it could have happened to anyone standing her exact spot at that exact time. It is a tragedy that a person went through her normal routine, just as we do every day, and, at the end of her routine, that person’s life was over.
Maybe, things would have been different, if the shooter had realized the true definition of tragedy beforehand. Possibly, it was our job to tell him. Maybe, Jasmine Lynn was just unlucky, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, it is possible that we failed her. Regardless, tragedy is a problem. Be a part of the SOLUTION.

OxyJon