America’s gun problem is killing our kids
In America’s latest school mass shooting, more innocent lives were sacrificed to the corporate gun lobby’s relentless need to sell more guns and prohibit gun violence prevention laws from being passed. The children, young adults and families of Santa Fe High School in Texas, Parkland, Fla., Sandy Hook, Aztec, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Santa Monica Community College, Umpqua Community College, etc., ask “How many more of our children must die?”
At Santa Fe, eight students and two teachers were allegedly slain by a 17-year-old who had access to his father’s guns. Thirteen more people were injured, and hundreds of students will likely live the rest of their lives in fear of being shot.
Two weeks after the National Rifle Association convened in Texas, two attendees, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas continued to pretend that guns are not the problem. Gov. Abbott said at this month’s NRA conference, “The answer to gun violence is not to take guns away, the answer is to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of lawabiding citizens. The problem is not guns, it’s hearts without God.”
Gov. Abbott was forced to look in the faces of parents who will never see their children alive again. Somehow he forgot to tell them that they and their godless hearts are the problem, not the guns. But the NRA playbook dictates that the deflection message always comes a day or two later, which always seems to be enough time for us to somehow be a little more OK with guns killing another 10 innocent lives.
The NRA and the corporate gun lobby will try to convince us that the answer is actually more guns and that the reason for mass shootings is because of a lack of religion, violent video games or Ritalin. Any excuse will do as long as it diverts our attention from the simple fact that guns are killing our children. They will use this latest tragedy to bolster their effort to arm teachers … because that sells more firearms. All but the most courageous politicians will stick their heads deeper in the sand as they cower before the NRA bullies, either accepting their blood money or fearing their retribution or both. And nothing will change unless we stand up and do something.
Our children are frightened, heartbroken and beyond confused as to why adults are doing so little to keep them safe from gun violence. We got them into this mess, and it is our job to get them out of it. We need to take responsibility for the fact that we have allowed the NRA and the corporate gun lobby to essentially hijack our political system. For decades, they have weakened gun violence prevention laws while convincing our elected officials that the answer to less gun violence is more guns.
There is something we can do. Call your local and federal elected officials every week. Ask them one simple question: What did you do this week to keep our children, families and communities safe from gun violence? Truly, call them every week. If they start receiving thousands of calls, it will make a difference. Ask them specifically what bills they are sponsoring. Ask them what programs they are funding. Ask them what specific action they took this week. Demand details and don’t let up. And let them know that this is a voting issue for you. If they do not take action, they lose your support and the support of those around you.
We cannot give up this fight. If we do, we give up on the children we lost in Texas and the children we lose every day to gun violence.