I never thought I would be sitting here writing something like this today. Normally here on Nightmarish Conjurings you see fun Haunt and movie reviews; but here I am – both shaken and heartbroken over last night’s unspeakable acts of nothing more than a coward and excuse of human waste. Also, let’s just stop calling him “a shooter” and call this “thing” what he really is – a terrorist.
At 12:20am, my husband and I were awoken by a frantic phone call from a co-worker and friend of ours advising us of the current situation happening just a few miles away from our home. We flipped on the television half-dazed upon being stirred from our sleep to see exactly what the deal was – and we couldn’t even wrap around our heads what we were seeing. The horrific videos and photos from my Vegas neighbors seemed like something straight out of “American Horror Story.” However, not even Ryan Murphy’s brilliant and twisted mind of visual macabre could come close to compare to the realities of what we were witnessing, and the anxieties of not knowing if our friends and family were indeed safe.
One of my mind-fucking anxieties that normally take over my brain whenever I enter the bright lights of downtown Vegas had become a real-life nightmare, and if you suffer from any form of anxiety attacks, you know exactly of what I speak of. Even now thinking of the people in my town who have directly lost a Mom, Dad, spouse, sibling, or a friend, because of the disgusting act of a terrorist whose name I WILL NOT MENTION, it deeply hurts – and I’m not alone.
YOU’RE not alone.
We’re all in this together and in the wake of such a dark hour for our country and our directly affected valley, people are unifying to offer up homes for displaced traveling families and relatives traveling into the Silver State to tend to their loved ones. The wait lines at the Blood Bank are at this time of writing, up to 6-8 hours while volunteers from all over the city bring donors water, juice, and snacks to those life-saving contributors. Even the local American Red Cross centers have seen an overwhelming response of both donations and volunteers to the point where they can’t accept anymore at this time. Even the original GoFundMe for the victims and their families continue to shatter its goals reaching enormous amounts from not just Vegas locals, but from all over the country.
Mr. Rogers said it best my friends…
Blood donations are always needed and accepted, if you live in Nevada, here’s where can you go:
Of course if you’re not a Vegas resident and can’t physically donate your blood to the Nevada victims, you can still do your part by donating money to any reputable hospitals, and other blood organizations in your community. As it is anyway, blood donations are ALWAYS needed and not just in times of devastation.
Other ways to offer your support is to donate to local Vegas charitable organizations in Nevada, particularly those like Volunteers of Medicine in Southern Nevada, which provides mental and physical health care to people who don’t have access to it otherwise. Those seeking counseling in an effort to recover from these past events is especially beneficial.
You can also help by continuing to raise the bar of the initial GoFundMe page created by Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak to help the injured and families of the deceased. Also it should also be noted to be on the lookout for any false money raising campaigns. As with tragedy, comes the scammers ready to tug on our heartstrings. Always check the legitimacy of anyone coming door to door like an unwanted salesman or questionable phone calls by asking for credentials. Sucks I even have to say it, but it does happen.
As a Vegas resident, I’m both overwhelmed by sadness by last evening’s events and a sense of pride today in the community I call home with the enormous response to want to give and offer a helping hand to our neighbors. To everyone that has already donated funds, gave blood, or even offered something simple as a ride in an effort to help today, I think I speak for everyone when I say simply – thank you. And let’s keep the trend of giving going in not just the event of disaster, but make it a staple in our daily lives. The world needs the kindness now more than ever my friends.
- Blu-ray/DVD Review: CREED II (2018) - March 7, 2019
- DVD Review: BARRY: SEASON ONE - October 8, 2018
- TV Recap: BARRY: SEASON 1 - June 19, 2018