Over the last seven years there has been intense disagreement over whether any piece of information is factual or not. Well, it has occurred to me lately that there is at least one indisputable fact, regardless of our political or religious affiliation. What, you might ask, in our current state of anger and divisiveness could possibly bring us together in agreement, something that even the likes of Fox News and MSNBC would not argue about? And even the former-now-indicted guy who disputes seemingly everything, would find common cause with our current guy, Joe Biden, if this one fact came up in a presidential debate.
So, what is this one indisputable fact? It’s death. We’re all going to die, someday. Everyone of us, even the former-now-indicted guy. In one way or the other, our run on this earth will end and the only questions about it are how and when.
But even though we all know we’ll depart this world someday, watching those we love die, can be and often is, a life-altering, heart-wrenching experience. We assume that we will outlive our parents and that our children will outlive us. But that’s not how it always works.
Twenty-five years ago, this coming October, I lost my son, Ben. He was just 25 years old. His 50th birthday is next month on the 25th. (It’s strange how numbers can synchronize like that). Ben was hit by a young woman as she drove through a red light at the intersection through which he was riding his bike. He died there on the asphalt. This was a terrible heart-wrenching loss but at least there was no malice involved, simply someone’s dangerous carelessness.
Regardless, I grieve the loss of my son every day. I spend untold time wondering where he is now, wishing I could see him and talk to him, wrap my arms around him and give him a huge hug. His was a tragic and unnecessary death.
And then a few weeks ago another school shooting took place, this time in Nashville, Tennessee. Three 9-year-olds and three adults were shot to death intentionally by someone with a legally purchased assault weapon. You would think that this horrific act would bring us all together to find a way to protect our children and school staff from being blown to bits by an insane person sporting a military grade weapon.
On the contrary, no.
I know we all have targets pasted on our backs and are just as likely to be shot dead at the mall or at a parade, as we are at school, but at the moment, it’s the danger to innocent, vulnerable children that has grabbed my attention and heart.
When I think of the parents and families of these dead children, my heart breaks. I know what it’s like to lose a child, but their loss must be even worse than mine. My son was taken from me by a thoughtless, stupid act of carelessness. Their children were killed intentionally, a planned act of mutilation and murder. I can try to imagine what this must be like for them, but there’s no way I’ll ever know.
These massacres keep happening in schools, grocery stores, theaters and festivals, and places of worship all over this country and nothing is done to stop it from happening again. This was the 145th mass shooting in the U.S. this year alone. Unlike Ben’s death, there are actually things that can be done to reduce, if not stop, this intentional killing.
In Tennessee, where the latest massacre took place, a Republican congressman, Tim Burchett, speaking with reporters said “We’re not gonna fix it – criminals are gonna be criminals.” Really? When a reporter asked him what could be done to protect his daughter while at school, he admitted that he homeschools her. What a lucky kid, no active shooter drills for her. Guess he can afford that with his $174,00/year salary.
We’re not “gonna fix it”? He means he won’t fix it.
But that’s not how the people of Tennessee saw it. According to The Tennessean … thousands of students, parents, caregivers and concerned Tennesseans marched to the state capitol demanding action on gun laws in response to the shooting. They were joined by three elected Democratic State House members, two of which were eventually expelled from their seats in the chamber for breaking procedural rules regarding speaking without permission. Thrown out for speaking truth to power? Seems to me that this was just an opportunity to get rid of two young Black outspoken members of the opposition. The third, a white woman kept her seat. Interesting how that works.
Of course, there are many things that can be done to stop the killings, none of which bans all guns. If those elected officials cared about the lives of their constituents, they would buck the pressure from the NRA and other pro-gun groups and pass common sense laws like universal background checks, red flag laws to keep unstable people from acquiring guns and ban assault weapons outright.
Does our right to own guns matter more than our loved one’s lives? The Second Amendment to the Constitution does say, though rather murkily, that we have the right to bear arms. But in 1791, when the amendment was ratified, those arms were one-shot muskets. The shooter in Nashville fired off 152 rounds within minutes from an assault rifle. What other purpose can there be for owning such a weapon other than to kill people, as many as you can in the shortest period of time.
Yes, we’re all going to die someday, even our children. But is this how you want them to go?
Karen Gardner, of Haydenville, can be reached at opinion@gazettenet.com.