A Facebook friend of mine selected me to post something about the well-known Marvel comic book superhero Wolverine on my timeline over the weekend.

This request came hours after a shooter opened fire in a Jacksonville, Fla. mall, killing three before turning the gun on himself.

My friend took the opportunity to post her favorite superhero to “fill Facebook with comic book heroes to fight the saturation of all the negative images and videos. Give me a like and I will assign you a character. Requests will be honored.”

When I saw the selection she had for me, I thought about Wolverine’s abilities.

In the comic books, his body is filled with adamantium, an indestructible metal that enhances his already healing powers. As you know, he has sharp claws that protrude from his hands.

Like Wolverine’s ability, our country needs healing from these acts of violence. There have been way too many to count.

Through June, 158 mass shootings had been recorded in the country.

That’s way too many, and this needs to end.

Another friend of mine posted via Twitter: WHEN WILL IT END?

This was shortly after news reports started coming out about the shooting in Jacksonville.

Pretty shortly afterward, people started sending up messages of support and love to the victims and their families.

We all should remember and take action against this type of violence.

We’re all in need of some healing.

It’s going to take a superhero-like effort to get there.