Various studies on why America is the undisputed leader in gun violence on the planet agree on a couple causes: the sheer number of guns in this country and the loose laws about obtaining and using them.
In the latest American carnage, with 19 elementary kids murdered along with two adults in Uvalde, Texas, the terrorist was an 18-year-old from the town. In Texas, you can purchase a gun when you are under 21 simply by buying it privately.
I don't have all the details on the shooting, which naturally produced chaos and fitful fact-sharing by authorities, but I suspect most if not all of the victims were Hispanic. Ten days ago, in Buffalo, the victims were mostly Black, and that was intentional. In Uvalde, the shooter appears to have been Hispanic, so at least white supremacy isn't the related topic of the day.
No. Uvalde keeps it simple: one kid (I know, an 18-year-old is an adult in the eyes of the law in many cases, but I have known too many 18-year-olds to swallow a legal fiction that they are adults), one or two weapons, and a collection of available victims.
It appears that there were some guards who attempted to stop the gunman at the school but ended up outgunned against the young man wearing body armor. If only all the teachers at the school had been armed, say the lunatics among us, everything would have been different. Madness.
I have been playing with the idea of using this clip from the 1976 film "Network" in summer workshops but it seems appropriate today, of all days. The clip will clue you to my post headline for today.
This film was provocative those 46 years ago and remains both riveting and revelatory today. It is likely a good idea to share this clip with current high school students who must think they are living in a special sort of hell right now, between Monkeypox and Covid and the Ukraine war and supply shortages and community members who couldn't give a damn about individual students and teachers attacking schools and educators.
I am hoping to do something with the energy from being angry and encouraging students to use that energy to report on what matters and to advocate for change, even incremental change.
I looked up the inflation rate in 1976 and it was about 5.76 percent, not far from today's rate. I keep reading that it's inflation that will sink the tentative Democratic majority in the federal government, and that may turn out to be true.
I also looked up how many school shootings there were in 1976, and it was 10... in the entire country. This year there have already been 135. In 2021, there were 240, the highest number ever, by far. There will be a break over summer, as schools shut down, but we have a great chance of beating last year's record before January.
Record deaths from guns will create zero impact on politicians. As a nation, and to our shame, we have simply given up.
I'm sure I will hear about the need for prayer and forgiveness at church this coming Sunday, though nothing of note will be said by the minister. Taking a stand or being provocative? That is the sort of thing that wrecks churches these days. Don't rock the boat. Everybody breathe. Trust in God's plan. Check the screen for our next hymn.
America has decided that it is fine with a high level of death, poverty, and suffering, as long as it is not predominantly white people... but even white people will need to die from gun violence. The gun has become our religion, our focus, our idol.
All hail the holy bullets.
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