Nineteen children and two adults dead. I have written about far too many mass shootings in the United States since I started this blog 17 years ago, and far, far too many that have taken place in schools. Here are some resources for talking about the tragedy with children, taking action to help the victims’ families and community, and furthering gun control.
The unconscionable shooting at the mostly Latinx Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, comes just weeks after 10 Black people died in a shooting in Buffalo. And while the victims of any shooting are someone’s children, when the victims are young children, their deaths hit me—and I’m sure many others—like a gut punch. School shootings have been one of my main fears as a parent and remain so, even though my son is grown. My heart breaks for all of the families of the victims and for the children who survived but will have to grapple with ongoing fear and trauma.
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. And when the right-wing of our country claims to care about the lives of fetuses but will do nothing to further gun control and protect the lives of children after they are born, there is something deeply, deeply wrong with their ideology. Gun control is only part of the solution—the Buffalo shooting, for example, underscored the continuing need for increased action against White supremacy and racism—but it is a key step.
I hope, however, that we can all turn our despair into action. Here are some suggested resources.
Discussing the Shooting With Children
- Sesame Street has resources to help children affected by gun violence.
- “Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety,” from Mental Health America.
- “How to Talk to Kids About School Shootings,” from Common Sense Media.
- A Kids Company About is making their A Kids Book About School Shootings downloadable for free. (While this book isn’t LGBTQ-inclusive, several other titles from the company are.)
To Help the Uvalde Community
- GoFundMe has established a hub for donations to verified fundraisers for people affected by the Uvalde shooting.
- The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is urging people in the Uvalde area to donate blood. You can schedule appointments at SouthTexasBlood.org or 210.731.5590. You also may schedule a blood donation at University Hospital’s donor center by calling 210.358.2812 or visiting DonateBloodToday.com.
- The San Antonio Legal Services Association is asking for local attorneys to help victims’ families with unmet legal needs, and are offering pro bono assistance.
Beyond Uvalde
- 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.
- Visit the Everytown site, MomsRising’s Gun Safety section, or those of other gun control organizations to learn more about the issues and how to take action. Donate to their work if you can, and/or help elevate their messages.
- 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.
Finally, for those who need it, the Disaster Distress Helpline, 1.800.985.5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
Hug your kids and loved ones extra hard today.