Another Week, Another Lack of Answers
One week ago, an 18-year-old in Texas shot his grandmother, took her vehicle, and made his way to an elementary school where he brutally shot and killed 19 children and two adults. Understandably, we as a nation ask “why” and “what can be done”.
The “why” is impossible for any decent person to grasp. What causes someone to be so full of hate, so misguided, so reckless…we cannot comprehend it, but we need to do better at identifying it so when possible, it can be treated.
The “what can be done” is just as difficult. Beware of anyone who says they have “the answer” because there is no single “answer”. Those who rush to limit access to guns have to answer one key question: how will the measure you’re proposing have prevented whatever most recent shooting is being discussed? You might get big support, if you can show that…instead, we have opportunistic folks with agendas scream for gun control before even knowing the facts of what weapon was used, how it was obtained, etc.
And as we’ve noted before, the gun part of this is only part of the conversation; enhanced mental health treatment is just as important.
The sad thing to accept is that we cannot prevent all harm. That does not mean we don’t try, and try mightily…but bad things will happen to good people, and the best we can do is limit the harm.
Also sad is the fact that many of those crying out the loudest, on all sides, claim if we just listen to them, do what they say, the problem will go away. It will not. Worse, it will give us a false sense of security, to think that something has been “fixed”.
If you want to have an intelligent, rational conversation on how to make schools safer, to focus on firearm safety as opposed to gun control, then fine. I think there are enough people in the so-called middle to do that. Unfortunately, we’re being drowned out by loud voices, on both sides.
