Miranda Alam / Special to the Sun
Portraits honoring the 58 victims of the Oct. 1 shooting are displayed as part of the Las Vegas Portraits Project exhibit at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018.
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 | 2 a.m.
Las Vegas doesn’t want to be part of this fraternity; no city does. Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Houston area last summer, taking 82 lives and causing millions of dollars of damage. Destructive weather in Puerto Rico and Florida, and wildfires in Northern California, all left indescribable ruin and pain. There were school shootings throughout the country—the most notable in Parkland, Florida—that took the lives of innocent kids.
Clark County Government Center, Las Vegas Portraits Project
• What: A display of 58 crosses and portraits of each victim painted by artists around the world.
• When: September 17-October 19, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday
• Contact: 702-455-2433
Tragedy also hit home. Pain and suffering happened in our backyard. A gunman opened fire above the Las Vegas Strip during a music festival, claiming 58 lives and injuring hundreds more.
Many of us know someone who was there or someone who has family who was affected. We all hurt. We all learned the true meaning of “Vegas Strong” through our acts of compassion in the aftermath.
And something magical happened in the days and months after the October 1 tragedy. We loved our neighbors, and we received love back … from all over the world. Our reputation transformed from the city that always provides visitors with a great memory to a city that is a strong community with determined residents. We have been steadfast in not letting this act of terror define us.
We are city of mostly transplants—folks with loyalties to their hometowns. We are from Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland and other metros within and outside the United States. Las Vegas was always viewed as a great temporary home, but now, that mindset has changed.
We are darn proud to be from the 702, natives and transplants alike. We spent the past year donating blood and money, attending community events, consoling one another and developing an unrivaled sense of pride in being a Las Vegan. We came together by the thousands to cheer for the Golden Knights during their run to the Stanley Cup Finals because they represented all of us, including the 58 who didn’t make it home from the Route 91 Harvest festival. This city is helping us heal.
The year hasn’t been easy. Many of us can’t drive by the shooting location on the Strip without feeling sadness or anger. The victims have mental and physical scars that will persist—some won’t be back to a concert anytime soon; others are still in therapy.
Our metro area of 2 million residents was rattled and still is. We cried and still do. We repeatedly ask, “Why us?” We always will.
But along the way, we’ve made the best out of the crisis. That, after all, is what Las Vegans do. Our recovery is far from over, but we’re all pulling the rope in the same direction, proud to be “Vegas Strong.”
This story originally appeared in the Las Vegas Weekly.
