In the world to come I shall not be asked, ‘Why were you not Moses?’ I shall be asked, ‘Why were you not Zusya?’Rabbi Zusya

School Shootings

When will we love our children more than we love guns?  As you’ll probably remember on Tuesday January 23rd 2018, the 11th shooting occurred at a school this year. This time it was in a small town in Kentucky and there were two—probably only two to some. The NYT article describing the incident reminded us of other incidents: “On Monday, a school cafeteria outside Dallas and a charter school parking lot in New Orleans. And before that a school bus in Iowa, a college campus in Southern California, a high school in Seattle.” Of course these do not address places like Newtown and all the other well known school massacres. The mental health of the shooters no longer seems to me as relevant as the fact that guns were available to them. School officials attempt to take measures to protect their campuses but unless we become a total police state it is not possible to control everything and everyone.  What is so troubling is that there is no indication that this trend will stop.  Yet there is no outrage. Are we becoming inured to such events? And too for each shooting, particularly in small communities there are consequences, and usually handling those consequences, such as the psychological aftermath on students, friends, teachers and by standers can far outstrip the resources of those communities. Which leads me to repeat when will we love our children more than we love our guns?


Comments

2 responses to “School Shootings”

  1. Peggy Hackney Avatar
    Peggy Hackney

    I totally agree!

    1. I am glad you agree, Peggy, and hope enough others do too.