I never thought that I would be writing a blog about 47 school shootings in one year. And, it’s not even the end of the year, yet, we still have more than two months to go!
After the Oregon shooting last month, President Obama said, “This is becoming the norm.” The norm? Are we going to say this is the new norm in America? Not for me and I don’t think it’s “the norm” for many of you, either.
In 2014 after the shooting at Reynolds High School in Oregon that left one student dead, the President said at a forum hosted by Tumblr, “We’re the only developed country on Earth where this happens. And it happens now once a week. And it’s a one-day story. There’s no place else like this.”
So how do we change this? The politicians from all parties have shown us their unwillingness to truly take on the mighty NRA (National Rifle Association). But, as the President said, we also have to bear some of that blame ourselves. Are we motivated enough to pressure our members of Congress into making a change? Do we hold them accountable when they don’t? Do we allow time to make us complacent? Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this issue isn’t going to be resolved overnight, but we have to remain vigilant. We need to be nipping at the heels of our elected officials reminding them that we DEMAND change!
What I found fascinating was the response to President Obama’s speech after this last shooting at Umpqua Community College. A speech that was so rooted in reality and so sensible. He talked of common sense about our country and the possession of almost 300 million weapons and the correlation with domestic violence. If common sense means the sense of what we have in common with others, then it becomes obvious that there is a little commonality of sensibility on this issue.
After the President had spoken, immediately politicians and pundits went on the war path politicizing the issue while yelling that the President was doing just that. I thought most sensible people would agree with the President about the senseless freedom in the USA to acquire guns, but that would be wrong. This country has little sense of commonality of purpose. We are a nation in conflict, notably about gun control, but much else as well. The conflicts seem irreconcilable at this time. That is until more seasoned, mature politicians are elected by the people. I wait with guarded hope, but I’m not too optimistic after the recent Republican debates.
What I did see recently was the love and joy pouring out during the visit of Pope Francis. I saw the hunger of people wanting peace, compassion and love. Those sentiments are still alive and well, and I hope and believe it is that source that will eventually win out.
A Breakdown of the 47 School Shootings So Far This Year
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Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.
