Just as we were going to press, we learned of the horrendous mass shooting of elementary school children and teachers in Uvalde, Texas. These follow the shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY. As far as we can tell from press reports, both shooters were 18 years of age. At our press-time , it appears that the Texas shooting began as some type of family dispute and evolved into the deaths and injuries reported. The Buffalo shooter (we probably should say “alleged shooter” even though he made the event part of a live video stream), was 18 years old (barely old enough to legally acquire a fire-arm). It looks like the upstate New York person was filled with and ensnared in racial anger, hate and fear. Also that the shooter prepared in detail for his trip and travel to the best place (in his mind) – the supermarket in a predominately black neighborhood to shoot as many innocent people as he could as they were going about an event as innocuous as shopping.
What is it with us (Americans) that we have to keep doing this and succumb further into the perception, if not the reality, that we are a society intent on bringing ourselves to inhumanity and the brink of self-destruction?
Among the ironies in these latest killings and wounding of innocents including school children and teachers in their last days of the school year, is the fact that the Biden White House had published in March of this year, a list of their actions “taken already” or to be taken to make communities safer from gun violence. The President’s State of the Union address – this past March (only months ago) - outlined actions taken and “to be taken”. This was published and accompanied by an outline from the White House Press office.
At our early, first glance at the Texas shooting, it does not appear to be racially or ethnically motivated, unlike the shooting in Buffalo.
Sadly, once again leaders of the Black Community and many others have asked when – and if – there might be a White House conference or commission on gun violence in America.
We hope the following press account from the New York Times (May 25, 2022) is not true: “By now, the story of American gun violence is unsurprising.” … OR IS IT?
