06/23/2025
Reflections After a Violent Weekend in Tulsa
After reading about the multiple violent incidents that shook Tulsa over the weekend, I felt compelled to share a few thoughts. Honestly, I hadn’t heard about any of it until late Sunday evening. I spent the long weekend volunteering at an event, and each night I came home completely drained, unplugged from the news, and went straight to bed. Like many, I don’t regularly watch TV, so the news hit me all at once—and it was heartbreaking.
My heart goes out to the families affected. To those who lost loved ones, and to those recovering from injuries—especially gunshot wounds, which are not only physically but emotionally traumatic—my deepest sympathies. I’m also thinking of the first responders and medical teams who jumped into action and continue to care for victims. Thank you for your service in the face of such tragedy.
Violence—especially when it involves youth—is never simple. These events aren’t isolated. Community violence has deep, systemic roots. It reflects layers of social, economic, and structural issues. It’s easy to react with blame or frustration, but finger-pointing won’t heal our wounds or prevent the next tragedy. Lasting solutions require systemic change, and that means collaboration across every sector.
The good news is that Tulsa has the people and potential to make change happen. We have a young, dynamic mayor who is deeply committed to improving our city. We have a capable, professional police force. We have business owners, faith leaders, nonprofits, and everyday citizens who care deeply about our neighborhoods and are already working toward equity and safety.
I trust that working groups will study the data and seek out patterns to identify real, effective solutions. But policy alone won’t solve this. It takes people—leaders from government, business, faith communities, and grassroots organizations—coming together, listening to one another, and taking action.
Is that overly optimistic? I don’t think so. I believe in Tulsa. I see the talent, the heart, and the momentum that already exist in this city. We’re capable of confronting our hardest challenges—and building a brighter, safer future for everyone.
