When Will it End: Reflections on the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas

Why?

That is the question on so many minds right now…why? Why would Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old man, barely a child himself, walk into an elementary school with a gun, and open fire. In the aftermath, fourteen young lives, including the shooter, and a teacher have lost their lives. Gone…in yet another senseless mass shooting.

I remember the shootings at Columbine High School, which seemed the origin of the concept of school, shootings. I remember Sandy Hook Elementary, the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, and Virginia Tech. And most recently the shooting in Buffalo New York just a short time ago. We remember the countless other shootings that have occurred in between those events…all tragic, all senseless.

Greed, power, revenge, escape, these are all reasons many consider the mind of an individual can go to such an extreme place. But it seems impossible for an individual to think, in however a manic state they may be in, that the only way out is to rush into an establishment, any establishment, and take out other lives in their wake. What could these children, seven- and eight-year-old children as the news is reporting, have done to cause this individual to do something so heinous? So cowardly? So unconscionable?

And yet we are forced to sit by and watch the news trickle in. First it was two deceased children, then eight, and now fourteen. Two law enforcement officers hit as well. And the shocking news that the alleged shooter had shot his own grandmother shortly before this incident. This young man clearly had issues; one might even say demons. Still, no matter how horrific his own life may have been, he still had no right to take the lives of innocent individuals. Especially the lives of children, just a few short days away from the end of the school year.

Texas, for all its positive attributes, take exception to the idea of gun control. It would seem their pushback is to any show of attempts to apply closer regulations on who can and cannot carry a firearm. One would think that when incidents such as this occur, compassion would take over, and the firm stance on the subject might relax. Instead, Texas lawmakers seem to double down on their opposition to the matter. But what if it were one of the lawmakers own children? Suppose someone were to enter their child’s school and open fire, injuring or killing their child. Would they still be so opposed to change in gun regulations?

I tread gently in mentioning this consideration, yet it must be addressed. That is the issue of race. Granted, the shooter was a resident of Uvalde Texas, a town with a Latino population. Those killed in Buffalo were mostly African American. Will these crimes be enough for our lawmakers to take a closer look at changes that clearly need to be made around gun control in this country? Or will the fact that these killings were propagated against People of Color make the issue seem less a priority? When Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Georgia, not much conversation around the topic of gun control occurred. Yet here was an instance where a man was, for lack of a better word, hunted down and shot, allegedly based solely on the color of his skin. As much of an ordeal it was bringing the Arbery case to trial, there was no discussion on the issue of the gun(s) used by his assailants in the incident. One would think it would be a watershed moment. Wouldn’t the killing of an unarmed African American man, by the manner it occurred, at the hand of white men, be reason enough for lawmakers to look at the issue of gun control? There is statistical proof that an upsurge in the number of incidents of crime against People of Color, exists. Yet little is being done. Except for those incidents involving those shot by law enforcement, shouldn’t Mr. Arbery’s death have been an impetus to take a closer look?

No, apparently not.

So, we are left to try and make sense out of something so senseless. To be honest, as there have been so many similar incidents over the years since Columbine, we tend to become a bit numb to it. We grow complacent in these occurrences; not that we do not care, but that we tend to offer so much care as we can to these incidents that we find ourselves running short. Still, we as human beings have only so much compassion to go around. As these incidents occur, our reserves become diminished…to the point of feeling almost tapped out. What makes today’s events so shocking, is that it was a crime perpetuated against children…by a young man barely a child himself.

So, what can we do?

One thing for sure, is to ask our local lawmakers about what can be done to shore up gun control laws throughout the nation. I singled out Texas a bit ago, but I mean it purely as an example. Their very vocal and very well financed. Yet the FBI reports that since 2021, the number of shootings has seen a significant increase. Why? Access to firearms is likely to be mentioned in the coming days, yet no one is discussing ways to quell that. It is up to we, as individuals, not to mention voters, that our lawmakers understand that those of us who are emotionally wrought by these incidents, want to change. It must change.

I want to be clear when I mention a deep dive into revamping gun control laws; asking for better gun control laws is a means to protecting us all from a potentially random act of violence by firearm. In no way shape or form am I encouraging or advocating taking firearms away from civilians entirely. On the contrary, I believe that should an individual wish to have a firearm for protection of themselves, their family and their home is, and should be, a decision by the individual. However, the processes to obtain that firearm need deeper investigation. Stopgaps that will flag individuals with diminished mental capacity, or a history of violent actions to others, should face additional screening of some kind. Granted, in most states those convicted of felonies are not allowed to own a firearm, yet many still manage to obtain one. There are exceptions, for example the states of Louisiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Minnesota. Yet for those convicted of domestic violence, even if a misdemeanor offense, are prohibited from owning firearms per a federal law enacted in 1996.

Closer measures as well for those who exhibit signs of mental illness that could manifest into a violent episode. It is not a denial to individuals who can and will exhibit responsible gun ownership. It seems a simple idea, yet many fight the fight daily to “keep their guns.”

Along those same lines, we need to ask lawmakers about looking into the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of individuals suffering from mental illness. In 2022, there is no reason for the stigma that exists in the realm of mental illness to exist. Further, turning a blind eye to those who do suffer, isn’t the answer either. While there are certain indicators that can flag an individual in mental health distress. But to ignore it is not going to make it go away; there will be another shooting, and another, and still another.

Maybe you feel hesitant to reach out to your lawmakers. “They are so busy,” or “it won’t make a difference,” and other excuses of that manner do not wash. Sure, it is easy to feel as an individual your voice may not carry much weight, but a large number of voices can have a much greater impact. So, erase the idea of your voice not being important enough to be heard. I am here to tell you…IT IS!

There will be much said in the foreseeable future about the events that occurred in Uvalde Texas earlier today. But we need to, at least for a while, focus our concern, our thought, and especially our prayers to those who lost their lives today, and their families. The lives lost today, clearly gone too soon, should be celebrated for the lives they had. That way, none will have been lost in vain. We all have a responsibility to each other, as well as ourselves, to care. That is what I am asking, that we all care. Today it was someone else. But tomorrow…