by Nicole Borg
Sartell
The events that unfolded at the Uvalde, Texas elementary school May 24 were horrifying. But they were not new. We know all too well the images of children fleeing, of officers with guns drawn entering shooting zones.
We have seen the images of shooters on surveillance cameras – the black duffle bag, the gun made for combat. But if we can’t recognize the faces of the children as our children, if we can’t see the loss of each of those kids as our own personal loss, if we can’t feel at least an echo of loss in our own hearts, if we can’t see those losses as personal, we will never act to stop them.
We have done little to stop this violent epidemic that threatens all of us. As a parent and teacher, I believe we must act at federal and local levels to prevent the next mass shooting.
Uvalde was the 27th school shooting to take place in the United States this year. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death for children and teens.
It is not a mark of our “freedom” that I should kiss my fourth-grader and freshman goodbye each morning, wondering if they will return from school to me unharmed. Or if I, a high-school teacher, should return to them.
How do we stop mass shootings? We could pretend there is nothing we can do. We watch the news and feel a wave of dread at yet another shooting. Our feelings of helplessness and hopelessness will not solve the problem.
Where to start? I don’t believe in “taking away” guns, but I do believe in some limitations. Owning semi-automatic rifles like the DDM4 Rifle used in Uvalde (an AR-15 style weapon) has no purpose for hunting or home defense. And high-capacity magazines increase the killing power against men, women and children. If I have to take a bullet for my students, then make the shooter have to reload so I or a fellow teacher can have a chance of overcoming him.
Some claim laws won’t help because shooters would still get guns illegally, but if we fail to enact a law because “someone would break it,” then it follows we should not have any laws because they can be broken.
Also, it should not be up to schools to “figure it out.” Schools require active-shooter drills and spend many thousands of dollars on security. They should not bear the burden of becoming fortresses. We are institutions of learning, not high-security prisons.
Red-flag laws show promise for removing firearms from those in crises who are at risk of harming themselves or others. However, gun laws can’t be the only solution. As we recognize the victims of these shootings as precious to us, we must also recognize the shooters who are deeply broken individuals suffering and lashing out terribly, as us too. What has put so many of our young people in such extreme mental crises? How do we care for them so they do not turn to horrendous acts of violence?
Despair, loneliness and a lack of connection play into this. The deep rifts in our country certainly contribute to a climate of anger. Hate speech in public and on social media fuels the normalization of violence. Difficulty in accessing mental-health services leaves individuals desperate and unable to get the support they need.
There is no one solution, but it is time for us to act. We need to get creative and get involved. We need to find support for parents struggling to raise their kids. Let’s create connections among all of us through activities, interactions and options for service. Every child needs to feel valued, with meaningful connections. If children cannot feel valued, they will not value the lives of those around them. The longer we wait, the more likely it is the next mass shooting is already being planned.
