Halloween is upon us. We at The Herald wish families, parents, guardians and children a fun and safe time dressing up in costumes, trick-or-treating and participating in events happening in Prince Edward, Cumberland and Buckingham counties, of which there are a great deal.

With many of the events that have happened this past week, including 11 who have died as a result of a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue and two who have died at the hands of a gunman at a grocery store in Kentucky, the world increasingly feels unsafe.

The question of how to be safe, especially for those with children, are pressing heavily on us. While the majority of the onus falls on our elected federal, state and local representatives to enact measures that ensure safety for all members of the community, there are things that we as a community can do to help.

Research your state representatives and learn where they stand on issues such as school safety and weapon use. You can contact your state representatives via phone or email to ask them to either expand on an issue or encourage them to take greater action on it.

With Election Day coming up less than a week away, it’s that much more important to visit the polls and vote. 

Contacting local officials could also help, and encourage them to respond to questions or actions taken concerning school safety and other issues relating to community safety.

It’s also important to contact school officials, local law enforcement or a social media company if you see a social media post that threatens a specific individual or group of people.

Being aware of current events, and of circumstances that are affecting people with different circumstances and backgrounds is important.

Sometimes we don’t understand the breadth of someone’s pain or fear until we hear it firsthand from them. When we are aware of a situation and have empathy, we are more likely to take action.

Everyone has a role in protecting our neighbors. The small things that we do to understand and take action could be the ones that could make the most difference.