God! When will this end? Another school shooting – more children dead. Now by the hands of a 16-year old who managed to get into the school by shooting the lock off. What are we doing to our children? What drives a person still so young himself to commit such an action.
The boy with the gun was a killer --- shooter almost neutralizes the action – a murderer of children younger than himself and the teacher trying to protect them. And now we get the same drivel from politicians beholden to the gun lobby – “thoughts and prayers,” as if that does any good. And, of course, those funded by the gun lobby will tell us this is not the time – so, when is the time?
And each school shooting just cuts into the hearts of those who have lost children to gun violence. The refusal of our elected officials to do nothing is more than outrageous. There have been 52 school shootings this year alone, 16 at colleges, and 36 at K-12 schools, leaving 32 dead, 50 wounded, and scores traumatized. Politicians who take money from the gun lobby have blood on their hands.
Prayer for the Day
Crying out to you, O God, crying out for our dead children,
We ask, when will we wake up so children will live?
Our hearts torn by deaths of so many so young, O Lord,
Help us, O merciful One, and shake us loose from our complacency.
O that you would come down from the heavens, as in days of old,
And exact judgment on those whose hands are filthy with gun money!
In the name of the One who embraced the children,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Only with gun violence do we respond to repeated tragedies by saying that mourning is acceptable but discussing how to prevent more tragedies is not. But that’s unacceptable. As others have observed, talking about how to stop a mass shooting in the aftermath of a string of mass shootings isn’t ‘too soon.’ It’s much too late.
Ezra Klein, political commentator
We lose eight children and teenagers to gun violence every day. If a mysterious virus suddenly started killing eight of our children every day, America would mobilize teams of doctors and public health officials. We would move heaven and earth until we found a way to protect our children. But not with gun violence.
Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator (D-Mass)
Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
Jesus in Mat. 5: 9