(This essay dates from May last year. Given yet another massacre at a school in Nashville Monday, it remains sadly relevant.)
When archeologists dig up ancient human remains, anthropologists speak of the vanished cultures as “primitive” if they appear to have practiced child sacrifice to appease their gods.
With this in mind, future archeologists and anthropologists should have a field day when they discover the graves of the 17 fourth-grade school children who are being buried in Uvalde this week.
As the richest and most powerful nation on earth, the U.S. naturally doesn’t wish to consider itself a primitive society. And I’m fairly sure that isn’t what Ted Cruz meant either when he stomped away from European reporters asking him about why this kind of mass shooting almost only happens in America muttering, “I’m sorry you think American exceptionalism is awful.”
Remind me again about that “American exceptionalism.” Perhaps some sort of primitive religion?
Of course, it’s conveniently simple to blame the weapons profiteers and their enablers in elected office for these gun massacres that occur. Certainly the likes of the NRA and acolytes Cruz, Abbott and practically the entire Republican Party shoulder a major share of the blame for these outrageous acts.
But where does that leave the rest of us?
Lowering a flag to half-mast for a few days, observing a moment of silence before going back to our daily routines, holding onto some thoughts about the grief of others — all of that is respectful but does little to prevent the future slaughter of more innocents that is now certain to come.
In fact, much could be done. As long as guns remain so easily available, aggressively preventative measures need to be taken in our schools.
Meanwhile, organizing to pass much stricter strict gun laws and throwing the gutless culprits out of office who oppose them, will be the slow, frustrating, unsexy work. That is almost always led by the parents of previous massacre victims. Inevitably, an ineffable sense of grief steels their resolve.
Which raises the question of what the rest of us are to do with our ineffable grief.
Will we bury it for the ages? Along with the children?
Or will we act?
Protecting Children From Gun Violence (Sandy Hook Promise)
LINKS:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition plunged into chaos after mass protests over the sacking of his defense chief piled pressureon the government to halt its bitterly contested plans to overhaul the judiciary. (Reuters)
Netanyahu agrees to pause judicial overhaul following widespread unrest in Israel (NBC)
Israel judicial reform: Why is there a crisis? (BBC)
Israel faces airport closure, strikes as rage over courts overhaul mounts (WP)
Strikes in Germany disrupt flights and trains, ‘paralyzing’ Europe’s biggest economy (CNN)
ChatGPT Opened a New Era in Search. Microsoft Could Ruin It (Wired)
An early guide to policymaking on generative AI (MIT Technology Review)
Europol sounds alarm about criminal use of ChatGPT, sees grim outlook (Reuters)
First Citizens Bank to buy Silicon Valley Bank after collapse, FDIC says (WP)
Taliban official says schools for girls will reopen after curriculum is finalised, report claims (Independent)
Afghan girls struggle with poor internet as they turn to online classes (Reuters)
U.N. Investigators Protest to U.S. Over Health Care at Guantánamo Bay (NYT)
In Waco, Trump stokes anger and valorizes violent actors (WP)
Yet Another Mass Shooting at Nashville School (NewsChannel5)
Sick All the Time (Atlantic)
World ‘population bomb’ may never go off as feared, finds study (Guardian)
3 reasons why California's drought isn't really over, despite all the rain (NPR)
The More Traumatic the Childhood, the Angrier the Adult (Neuroscience News)
A 1,500 pound great white shark named ‘Breton’ is currently swimming off the coast of North Carolina (CNN)
Toddler At That Cute Age Where Anything Can Be Projected On Them (The Onion)
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