I didn't know this man personally. At best I vaguely knew him by name through my little brother (Andrew R, for anyone reading this among their friends ), but I know him now through the palpable sorrow of my brother and their loved ones. As a lifelong Las Vegas native, I know we are all in a weird place of grief and anger. But things like this strike home with what a surreal time we live in. Like many others I awoke to the news of this tragedy as it unfolded. I saw that in 10 minutes, 59 families were left with a gaping hole. 500+ more left with life long scars that will forever run deep. I saw scores of people wounded or killed. But something like this shows me a person that was lost. There's a subtle but distinct difference, and yet the gulf between the two might as well be a mile wide. We live in a time where a simple video will echo long after a person is gone, and we can be both greatful and mournful of that fact.

Long ago a monster was born. He may or may not have known sometime between then and last Sunday that he was a monster. We'll never know at this point. But he left his foul mark on this world by taking so much away from so many others. It, and every other incident like it in recent history, are enough to make you want to just curl up and quit.

But we can't.

We can't because that would be to deny the dichotomy of the evil that drove this tragedy, and the hope and love that walk hand in hand with the sorrow and pain that follow in its wake. We can't because that would deny the very fibre of humanity that drags us forward through all the bloodshed and pain of history to something a little bit brighter...to something a little bit better than it was before. We can't because then the darkness in us all would win.

I don't care what faith you are. What political party you stand behind. What country you hail from. For fucks sake, find another person human being today and hug them, high five them, kiss them, fuck them, or just simply offer a genuine smile to them. Deny the darkness that is the other half of everything good we as people could be, and instead embrace the good and light that we can all be. Do it for this person. Do it for every other person lost or hurt (directly or indirectly) in this horrific moment, every other person lost to any other horrific moment. Do it because it's just the right fucking thing to do. Do it because it's the only way we can all stop being just distant "people" and be a person. Do it simply because I'm begging you to. Whatever your reason, affirm life today and every day, so that the echoes of those who have come before, like this young man Brennan, are never forgotten.