The Shooting of National Guards in Washington, D.C.

When I first heard that two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington, D.C., I felt so many emotions at the same time. I was shocked because something like this is the last thing I would ever expect during Thanksgiving Break. I was scared too, because D.C. is very close to where I live. My family and I go there all the time to play soccer, walk around, and have picnics. Knowing that something so dangerous happened so close to us gave me chills.

I was also confused. Why would someone do something like that? What did those two soldiers ever do to him? They were just doing their jobs and trying to protect people. It makes no sense, and it made me feel really sad. One of the soldiers passed away, and the other is still fighting for his life.

Another thing that hurt me was hearing that the suspect was Afghan. As an Afghan girl, I don’t want people to think Afghans are bad or violent. That’s not who we are. Afghans are kind, loving, and talented people. We work hard, we care for others, and we try to make the world better. It breaks my heart that someone might use this to judge all Afghans, because the truth is, Afghans like him are extremely rare.

There are so many Afghans who inspire me. One of them is Khaled Hosseini, the Afghan author who wrote The Kite Runner and other amazing books. He inspires me because he shows how powerful stories can be and how we can share our culture with the world through writing. Another person who inspires me is Josh Gad, the actor and voice of Olaf from Frozen. He teaches me to be kind, creative, and funny, even when the world feels heavy.

I just wanted to share how this event made me feel and what it means to me as an Afghan girl living in America. Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you all stay safe, stay kind, and stay happy.

Goodbye!!!

Aqsa