Innocents Slaughtered, and What We Can Do

On Tuesday, May 24, we were shocked yet again by another senseless tragedy. Children killed with military-style weapons in a Texas elementary school by an older child. Just 10 days after black Buffalo shoppers were killed in a similar way.

Again, and again.

We feel anguish, we feel rage, we feel impotent.

Is there something fundamentally flawed in the American character that we generate such horror, not to mention the even more consequential profusion of daily gun deaths in the country? No other developed nation has anything like this. Perhaps. But as Nicholas Kristof notes, there is strong evidence that common sense regulation could significantly help, much as it has with automobile safety measures.

Like the matter of women’s health and choice, ending gun violence is really about the most fundamental freedom: the freedom to control one’s own body – that freedom is certainly removed when you are shot.

One of our greatest presidents, FDR noted in his Four Freedoms speech, “we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms … The fourth is freedom from fear–which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world.” We now need to apply this international principle to the gun crisis within our own country to bring us freedom from the fear that our own children are at risk, more from gun violence than any other cause.

Effecting change in our country’s relation to guns is essential to our freedom. And part of our population’s relationship with guns may be so deeply embedded that we can do nothing about it in the short run. But we are also a country that loves its cars, and we put up with seat belt regulations, air bags, driver licenses, insurance, etc. and many more of us are alive because of them. And we can do something similar with regulating gun (and ammunition) purchases.

There is only one way to end gun violence.

And that is to elect representatives who will actually enact common sense reforms.

And how do we do that?

Americans by a large margin already agree with at least some common sense reforms. But they are not happening. We still are a democracy, at least to the extent that bad actors do sometimes get voted out of office. But a disturbing number of people don’t see the connection between elections and consequences. Progress can only be made on this and other critical issues by raising the awareness of potential voters – they still have the power, if only they use it.

And how do we do that?

The day after the Texas massacre, gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke interrupted a press conference led by Governor Abbott, to ask when they would really do something about it. Many of us have decried the loss of civil discourse in the public sphere, and his interruptions, while nonviolent, were certainly disruptive. Should he have done it?

When progress has been made in this country, in one way or another, it has been done after someone spoke out of turn, figuratively or literally. Demonstrations are disruptive. Civil disobedience is disruptive. Yes, real progress also requires quiet, slow and steady efforts by determined proponents; civil rights progress in the 50s and 60s required not only the demonstrations led by Dr. King and others, and also the backroom wheeling and dealing by people like President Johnson. But without the demonstrations, it is unlikely that anything would have happened.

And the demonstrations were done with love, not with hate. They were not against white people; they were for all people. When I was part of demonstrations against the Vietnam War, we were not against American solders; we were against them being sent into a stupid war.

And now we are in a stupid war within our own country, a war against ourselves. We must make ourselves heard, but mostly, we must help our population understand that we can rid ourselves of politicians who do nothing to stop gun violence, and elect new ones who will actually act.

It is our job to remind voters that legislators and Congresspersons have the power to change this horrendous situation, and that we have the power to elect the ones who will.