I have written about far too many mass shootings in the United States since I started this blog 14 years ago. I feel like I am repeating myself when I post about my fears—for my son, for all our children, for all of the children who will grow up without one or more parents lost to gun violence. When we tire of talking about it, however, we give the victory to those who support lax gun regulations or who use gun violence to express hatred and bigotry. Forgive me some repetition, therefore. 
In the wake of this past weekend’s shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, here are a few thoughts and resources to help us move forward.
When a country cares more about allowing its citizens access to firearms—including high-capacity, military-style weapons—than protecting its citizens, it has failed its citizens, including its children. I hope, however, that we can all turn our despair into action. Spend some time on the Everytown site, MomsRising’s Gun Safety section, or those of other gun control organizations. Donate to their work if you can. Write to or call your members of Congress about restricting the sale and use of assault rifles and silencers, and enforcing stronger background checks. Check how much they have gotten from gun control and gun rights groups. Tell them you will not vote for them unless they support these measures and refuse money from the NRA and other gun rights organizations. Rinse and repeat. Don’t become immune.
Also, vote. Compare and contrast: The latest Democratic Platform says:
We will expand and strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in our current laws; repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to revoke the dangerous legal immunity protections gun makers and sellers now enjoy; and keep weapons of war—such as assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines (LCAM’s)—off our streets.
The latest Republican Platform says:
We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle. We also oppose any effort to deprive individuals of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the current Administration’s illegal harassment of firearm dealers. We oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, registration of ammunition, and restoration of the ill-fated Clinton gun ban.
That “most popular and common modern rifle” is the AR-15 assault rifle, which the NRA called “America’s Most Popular Rifle” in a January 2016 blog post. It’s a civilian model of the military’s M-16. Some version of it has been used in the vast majority of the mass shootings of recent years, including the one this past weekend in Dayton, Ohio, the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. And those are just a few of its deadly engagements. (The El Paso shooter apparently used an AK-47 assault rifle, a similar automatic weapon.)
President Trump has today suggested tying gun control legislation to immigration reform. NPR puts it bluntly: “It’s not clear why Trump is now talking about linking gun legislation with immigration policy. Those have been two of the most politically intractable issues in recent years, with bipartisan efforts ultimately failing.” And the mass shootings in our country have been perpetrated almost entirely by White, U.S. citizens, not immigrants or people of color. He’s also tried to put the blame on violent video games—to which I say, if violent video games caused everyone who played them to go on shooting sprees, our whole country would be a war zone. The problem isn’t video games—it’s access to guns.
The Democratic presidential field is still large—but I firmly believe we must all strongly support whoever becomes their candidate, even if they are not the one we personally favored. The alternative is four more years of Trump and ineffective gun control (not to mention continued backwards movement on LGBTQ equality and any number of other issues). Congressional elections are equally important. Platforms aside, though, party affiliation is not necessarily an indication of a politician’s stance on gun control, so again, check how much your elected officials have gotten from gun control and gun rights groups. Let that influence your vote.
On the local level, we need to make sure our schools and police departments are working together on protocols to protect our children in the horrific event of a shooter—and that they are taking appropriate action when statements are made by students or others in the community that seem threatening. Law enforcement officers also need to make sure they follow up and take action against school-related online threats (as may not have happened in the past).
Still worth reading, too, is this piece by an Army veteran on why the “good guy with a gun” response to mass shootings (i.e., arming more people) is a dangerous myth.
And once again, here are some resources I’ve found that shed some light on discussing tragedy with children:
- “Helping Children Deal with Traumatic Events,” from Open Circle, the elementary-school social emotional learning (SEL) program at the Wellesley Centers for Women. The article was first posted in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. (I work at the Wellesley Centers for Women, though not in the Open Circle program. I post here as an individual, not on behalf of the organization.)
- “Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety,” from Mental Health America.
- School Library Journal’s list of “Books to Help Kids Cope with Tragedy.”
Hug your kids and loved ones extra hard today.
