On Tuesday, the country watched in disbelief as another tragic horror story unfolded before us. In Uvalde, Texas, an 18-year-old shooter charged into Robb Elementary School, armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and opened fire. The massacre lasted upwards of 40 minutes before the shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team and, in his wake, he left 19 children and two teachers dead.
This is yet another senseless tragedy in a wave of violence involving shootings and gun violence this year. It is scary and disheartening to so many of us. Empathic souls all over the country mourn the loss of children we don’t even know and the teachers who died trying to protect them. We feel the heartbreak of this loss and are grieving with their families. I mourn the loss of these promising young people who were never allowed to reach their full potential. Reportedly bullied, I pity the shooter who somehow never received the help he needed and whose mental illness cut his own life and the life of innocent people short in such a violent way.
The whole event has been so emotionally overwhelming that I have avoided social media for the past forty-eight hours. I knew that it would be the source of many Facebook and Instagram posts and I did not want to entertain more grief. Today, I logged back on expecting to see a lot of memoriums dedicated to those lost. There were quite a few. What I did not expect to see, however, were people who were using social media platforms and this tragedy to protest gun control reform.
As I continued to scroll, I became more and more appalled at the number of people who seemingly cared more about their second amendment rights than the lives of the innocents who were lost. Furthermore, they were justifying their stance by using scripture and their faith. The more I read, the more disgusted I got. Where is the humanity? Where is the love? When did it become the general consensus that it is acceptable for human beings, especially those who profess Faith, to put their own selfish desires above the lives of 19 innocent people?
Now, before I get labeled as a “bleeding heart liberal,” let me say that I am not proposing that guns should be banned. I support the rights of responsible gun owners. Hell, I own a couple of rifles myself. With that being said, I believe there needs to be some reform. For example, requirement of a gun safety courses for ALL guns like the ones required for handguns. Perhaps, there needs to be an age requirement for gun ownership. We have it for driving, consuming alcohol and voting There also needs to be some way to screen and weed out those who are not mentally stable enough to be a responsible gun owner. Finally, some guns simply should not be made available to civilian citizens. You will never convince me that any average citizen in this country “needs” an AR15 assault rifle.
I see an alarming trend happening in our country. People are becoming much too comfortable with the use of violence. It seems that people choose to resort to violence and murder rather than finding a peaceful way to address the problem. Unfortunately, the majority of these involve guns. People are starting to devalue human life, which is the core of the problem. People have become quite selfish and only care about themselves.
I’m sorry this issue has me so pissed off but the idiocy of some of the arguments I see on social media are infuriating. “Cain killed Abel with a rock, The Lord didn’t get rid of all rocks.” This statement is so ridiculous that I barely need to address it. I will say this: most supporters of gun reform don’t want to completely ban them. Rather, they want more regulation so guns don’t fall into the hands of the wrong people. “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” I understand that guns don’t operate on their own. However, it makes it a lot easier for a person to take you out with an AR-15 in their hands. “No one is going to take away my second amendment right.” This one really gets me because few people who use this argument remember the historical context in which it was written. It was included during a period of our history when there were not recognized branches of the Armed Forces and civilians had to be ready to be called upon quickly to fight and defend our territories. Furthermore, the majority of people who post these comments and want gun ownership without any control are the same “conservatives” who feel they have the right to control women’s bodies and decide who you can love and marry. (Yeah, I said what I said. Sorry…not sorry.)
(I pause this rant to interject that, while the posts of the narrow-minded really chap my hiney, I stand by their right of freedom of speech. Without it, we cannot learn, grow or have healthy debate. Now, back to the rant that is already in progress…)
I don’t think we can address the issue of gun violence without also addressing the issue of mental health care, or the lack thereof, in our country. For the past few years, we have been faced with the unimaginable. Stress and mental illness are at all-time high. Yet, crucial mental health care is less accessable to most than ever before. Most public mental healthcare has been defunded and private care is now what is available. Unfortunately, many of the people who need care and medications cannot afford them. This lack of treatment and its effects combined with the ease of obtaining a firearm create the perfect storm for someone who is struggling to take matters into their own hands. So, there needs to be reform here as well.
I realize that I have spent the majority of this blog blasting those on social media whose posts make it seem that their right to own guns is more important than the precious lives that have been lost. It is highly insensitive and disheartening. As a person of faith, I cannot accept that as an appropriate response in the wake of a tragedy such as this. You don’t have to agree with me or anything that I have said. That is the beauty of living in this great country.
There is no more precious commodity than that of a human life full of potential and capable of affecting great change in the world. So, the rest of my post will ignore the selfish and insensitive and honor the brave children and adults who lost their lives at Robb Elementary School and their families.
We honor the lives of the nineteen young lives that were lost on May 24, 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. We are thankful for the impact they made on their families, friends and community during their short time here. We hope that from this tragedy and great loss that their lives will continue to impact the world and bring real change. We embrace their family and community and pray for healing, acceptance and, one day, peace. We also honor the adults who lost their lives protecting and defending the children. May your sacrifice remind us of how we all should be. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13 NIV) You are heroes in the truest sense of the word and the epitome of love and courage. Finally, we honor the members of border control who neutralized the gunman and saved countless lives. May you find peace in knowing you did what you could. May the town of Uvalde find comfort and peace and feel the support of the nation. Rest in peace, beautiful souls…
Spread love today and everyday because love always wins…
