What is there to say about yet another massacre of innocent life?
The frequency of mass shootings seems to be increasing. Newtown is the latest in a string of tragedies, after the Oregon mall shooting, the Colorado Batman shooting etc etc. But this shooting digs deep because of all the children who lost their lives. We are stunned, speechless, and mourning.
So it leaves me and the rest of the world wondering...why?
There are no easy answers and lobbyists for and against
gun control will try to leverage their position using tragedies such as
this.
Calls for gun control inevitable arise after these crimes. Fewer guns means fewer shootings. The math seems easy. Gun advocates will say that fewer guns means fewer citizens with the ability to defend themselves. The math seems easy.
But life isn't so black and white. The math is more complex than we can imagine. We can make guns less accessible, but would that prevent a determined individual from acquiring these weapons? There is a black market for everything, so if assault weapons were to become unavailable or less available, that doesn't preclude the possibility of a mass shooting from happening. Most of the people that are involved in these crimes have no criminal records, so even if background checks were required to attain a gun, they would probably pass these with flying colors. The perpetrators of the Columbine tragedy were high school students, yet they found a way to amass an arsenal.
The determined mind can make things happen with careful planning. Like the cliche says, "Where there's a will, there's a way."
Not that I am in any way a gun advocate, but realistically the best we can hope for with gun control is to limit the physical damage and number of deaths these maniacs can cause.
So what about looking at the root cause?
Who becomes a killer and why? What are the signs? How can we prevent this from happening again?
Maybe the answer starts at home, with ourselves and our children. Pay attention. Watch for signs. Make sure our kids have empathy and compassion for others. Make sure we demonstrate it to them and be good examples. And if in spite of our best efforts, there is a problem...sort it out. See a doctor, have an assessment done. We need to remove some of the stigma of mental illness and make people more likely to seek help.
But even that math isn't easy. Because life isn't black and white. There will always be criminals who slip through the cracks.
Because there are no easy answers.
So every night, hold your children close. Tell them you love them. Care for yourself and others. Do something you are proud of every day. Let the little things go. Live each day like your last. Even though mathematically our families are safer than they have ever been, the math isn't always in our favor.
Update: Here is a link to an article about another mother struggling to find answers for her child.. This is exactly what I'm talking about. Even if we know there is a problem, are there enough avenues to help these children?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html
