We Have to Stop This Madness

Yesterday my two granddaughters and I had a glorious day. On their third day of Camp Pops and Nona, we picked strawberries in the morning, sang songs in the car, had Nutella sandwiches and strawberries for lunch, then spent the afternoon at a nearby park. The girls ran, laughed, climbed and made new friends. What a perfect day.

Then we came home and I learned of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas. I kept looking at my granddaughters thinking about other grandmothers who, along with their families, are shattered beyond words. Although we are shielding our granddaughters from knowledge of this horrific event, my heart is completely broken for these families. 21 victims with names, smiles, and stories; now with families left to make sense of indescribable grief.

God must be weeping. Day after day after day we hear about another mass shooting. Regular people hanging out together in the Oregon District in Dayton, singing along at concerts, or planning birthday celebrations by going to the grocery store have been killed by a deranged gunman. Yesterday, there were kids who’d just attended an end of year assembly for honor students who are now dead. It is inconceivable to me how our lawmakers are not doing more to prevent these atrocious acts of violence. I suppose one of the benefits of not having the television on today while my granddaughters color pictures for their parents is that I am spared the absurd arguments by crazed-thinking people who say the best way to combat gun violence is to have more guns. 

I wish I could do more. Living in Ohio makes me feel utterly helpless as those who represent me in local and state government have passed laws that continue to expand gun rights. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently signed a bill allowing Ohioans to carry concealed guns without a permit or training. When will this absurdity end?

After tucking in my sweet granddaughters into bed last evening, I wrote to every lawmaker that represents me as I just wanted to DO SOMETHING. Will it make a difference here in the land where gun ownership rules the political system? I doubt it. But as I hear my granddaughters sing along to their favorite Disney soundtrack, I feel compelled to honor their peers they don’t even know; sweet children and their teachers from Texas and all other innocent people killed by unhinged people and distorted gun policy.

We have got to stop this madness.