Yes, Dear Reader, there was another school shooting today. There was one a few weeks ago and most likely there will be another by and by.
It is today’s park bench discussion everywhere. It is a tragedy. It is unfathomable that there will be another. It is also someone’s fault.
But whose fault?
Today some tell me it is the fault of the school systems…they are not secure enough.
It is the fault of the national government. They need to pass better laws.
It is because too many people have guns. It is because not enough people have guns when they are needed.
It is the parent’s fault. It is social media’s fault. It is the fault of media coverage. It is obviously the shooter’s fault.
It is not your fault or my fault. The shooter is the bad guy. We are the good guys. We have done everything the right way.
But let’s talk about that. Do we have any responsibility for the last shooting, or the next one? Oh, I hear you gasp. You have no control, so how can you have responsibility?
Someone has to be hurting pretty bad to become that bad guy. Did someone look away and not smile? Did someone label that bad guy early on as “not like us”. And stay away. Did a system force this bad guy to be day after day with people who didn’t like him?
Be honest, when you heard the news today, your first involuntary reaction was probably “Thank God that isn’t my child and the ones lying dead aren’t mine either.” That would be normal. We are normal, of course.
A young person said to me today “I want to make a lot of noise and have someone take care of it, so I can get my life back to normal.”
Oh, my. This day has become normal. And who is to take care of it?
Well, don’t look at me for the answers. Just raising the question. Don’t we all have just a tiny bit of personal responsibility for the other ones? Even our children, who we teach to interact with others?
I believe we each play a part. Somewhere in the fabric of it all. And a part of the solution. If we start listening to each other.
Skate On!
Darla
(Bench in Galveston, TX north side.)