Massacre at the temple

This time, a temple was the scenario of a tragically familiar incident: a lone gunman rushes into a public place with no other motivation than murdering as many people as possible.

In this case, a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin was the site of a massacre that left at least seven dead and several wounded. Preparations for a religious ceremony were interrupted by Wade Michael Page, who fired a gun at those who crossed his path until he was gunned down by police.

We join this community in its pain, a community that enriches our country with its contributions.

Only two weeks ago, 12 people were murdered at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. while they watched a movie. On Sunday, the location was a temple.

There are no similarities between the incidents except for the type of location, a common public place used daily, which with the presence of a mentally unstable person-who purchased his gun legally-became the scene of a massacre. Both gunmen are part of a society that is unnecessarily armed for our taste.

However, the fact that Page had been a member of white supremacist groups and the attack was against Sikhs is a call to focus on the racial hatred and ignorance that exist in our country.

The Sikh community was among those most impacted by the 9/11 attacks. Four days after the attacks, a Sikh was mistaken for a Muslim-for wearing a typical turban-and murdered. Hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs dramatically increased after the terrorist attacks.

Once again, all of society is in mourning. Incidents like this are happening way too often, leaving the impression that no one is safe, not even at the movies or in a temple. That in itself is another tragedy.