“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is so much I do not understand about the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, this week. Oh, I understand the psychological effects of bullying, which we are learning was part of the shooter’s background. I understand the psychological effects of addictions in the family, emotional neglect, unresolved rage, and the hurt underneath it. But I’m lost when it comes to understanding why on earth, the USA, arguably one of the most powerful, resourceful nations in the world, has done virtually nothing to legislate common sense gun laws.
This is beyond Blue/Red, Democratic/Republican, Right/Left….as far as I know, folks in all political parties have children, people of color, and all sexual orientations, care about the elderly, and want to protect the vulnerable. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of this horror is that the victims and their loved ones left behind are given nothing but silence by those who CAN step up and create measures to protect us all.
An 18-year-old male cannot rent a car but can purchase two assault weapons and close to 400 rounds of ammunition. Moving through airport security, a traveler and his or her baggage must succumb to all sorts of invasive scrutiny. Same deal when you go to the stadium, a rock concert, or into many government buildings/courthouses. These entities do not hold the opinion that “Oh, the crazy ones will always find a way to do what they are going to do!” Yes, they will; but we can do our part to prevent some percentage of it. We do this by monitoring cheating in schools, tax fraud, etc.
Are we really going to keep remaining silent and offer nothing but lame “thoughts and prayers and a moment of silence for the victims?” How many more parents and children, and loved ones must go through this again before we DO SOMETHING?
The Golden State Warriors’ brilliant, compassionate head coach, Steve Kerr, sums it up much better than I can:
https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1529246789290934272?s=20
(you may need to be logged into X, Twitter, to view this)
Hug your kids while you can.
See more about Trauma Recovery.