Many of the first-grade survivors of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have now reached their sophomore year at my son’s high school. My son, a freshman, plays on a soccer team with some of them. While they focus on improving their short passes and one-touch shots during practice, it’s evident that they have moved on from that fateful day. However, every now and then, in casual conversation, a parent will bring up a detail from their early childhoods, such as the elementary school they attended, and we all silently remember.
Despite almost a decade passing since the tragedy, I still hear new stories from that day while standing by the soccer field. These stories continue to shape the lives of those affected by the violence.
If given the chance to be with the people of Uvalde, Texas, as they navigate their new reality, there is one thing I would find difficult to share: gun violence has long-lasting effects. There will be moments when your town, your children, and every aspect of your existence will be dominated by the tragedy you experienced.
As I completed the previous sentence, a text message from our school district in Newtown, Connecticut, appeared on my phone: “Please read the email from the superintendent.” Once again, she had “sad news” to impart, news that I already knew. This time, the tragic event took place in Texas, eerily similar to what happened here. 19 children and two educators lost their lives in an elementary school. Almost ten years later, nothing has changed to prevent such horror from happening again. We find ourselves back in the same situation: children losing their lives in the very place they were sent to learn and grow.
The superintendent’s email warns our community about the pain that will resurface as a result of this tragedy. She mentions the presence of counselors and the need for enhanced police security at school.
The thought of sending my son to school fills me with apprehension. However, I realize that he is likely no more or less safe today than he was yesterday. Whenever a shooting occurs, everything changes, and yet, nothing truly changes. We allow gun violence to persist because our leaders permit guns to infiltrate our everyday lives. Just this week, a school fell victim to violence, and a few weeks ago, a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. Our responses, such as lockdown drills and the presence of bleed-control kits, only highlight our tolerance for an unimaginable level of gun violence, one that is unmatched in many parts of the world. When faced with the question of what it would take to bring about real change, we fail to provide an answer.
We have listened to grieving parents, my neighbors, who implore us to adopt common-sense gun regulations. Some of my neighbors have even won a difficult legal battle against a gun manufacturer and stood up against those who claimed Sandy Hook was a hoax, subjecting them to unimaginable torment. I am proud of each of these victories. However, they did not protect the people in Buffalo or the children in Texas. Furthermore, they will not safeguard the residents of towns where such tragedies have yet to occur.
The under-17 spring soccer league in Newtown is training diligently. Before we received news of the shooting, the kids were preparing for practice under the late-afternoon sun, lacing up their cleats and completing their warm-up routine. Just imagine these kids, including my son and his teammates. Now, zoom out to include the jazz band players, the ceramic artists shaping clay on their wheels, the gamers strategizing on Discord, and the kids heading to the pond to go fishing. They all embody the freedom and beauty of small-town America. However, every child in Newtown knows how easily that beauty can be shattered.
This brings me to the second aspect that weighs heavily on me for the people of Uvalde: I wish I could assure them that they will be the last to mourn, the last to suffer such a tragedy. However, the sad truth is that our country has made the decision to put even its youngest children at risk of death. Consequently, Uvalde joins the ever-growing list of towns affected by gun violence.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
