I’ve been under the weather for the past week. Nasty “bug” that creeps up on you slowly and then knocks you for a loop! But I’m feeling better – physically anyway.
Psychologically, I feel miserable and discouraged. On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, another school shooting occurred at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia! A 14-year-old student at the school opened fire using an AR-15 style rifle, killing four people and injuring nine others. Two teachers and two 14-year-old students were killed, while one teacher and eight students were injured. All injured parties are expected to make full recoveries, thank heavens.
The initial reactions from everyone, including political figures, was of horror and sympathy. Once again, leaders sent “thoughts and prayers”.
From all accounts, this incident appears (at least at first blush) to have been avoidable. The young man accused of the shooting, 14 year-old Colt Gray, had been identified in the Spring of 2023 with respect to a potential school shooting threat. Local law enforcement, as well as the FBI, interviewed Colt and his father, Colin, regarding purported threats made on-line. After assuring the interviewers that he had never made any threats and after his father assured law enforcement that his son did not have unfettered access to any of the hunting guns in the home, law enforcement took no further action.
Here we are today, one year and four months later, and both Colt and his father are sitting in jail waiting for preliminary hearings currently scheduled for December 2024! At some point, allegedly during the holidays, Colin had presented Colt with the assault style rifle as a gift!
Colt is being charged with four counts capital first degree murder and nine counts of attempted murder. Colin is being charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Due to his age, Colt will not face the death penalty. However, since he’s being charged as an adult, Colt could be sentenced to life in prison without parole! Colin’s maximum sentence at this point could add up to 180 years!
How have our presidential candidates and their running mates reacted?
Trump on Truth Social: “Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA. These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster.“
Harris on Twitter: “Today, Doug and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short by gun violence at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Our hearts are with the students, teachers, and families impacted by this shooting, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement on the scene. This is a senseless tragedy — and it does not have to be this way. We must end the epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all.”
It should be noted that VP Harris was on the campaign trail when the shooting occurred. She “interrupted” her prepared remarks to discuss common sense changes that need to be discussed because it doesn’t have to be this way!
Vance on Twitter: “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this despicable violence just days into the new school year. We are keeping the victims, their families, and the whole community of Winder, Georgia in our prayers this evening,”
At a campaign even later in the week, Vance said gun violence was sadly just a fact of life. Therefore, gun legislation is not necessary but school safety should be enhanced.
It should be noted the two school resource officers had Colt in custody within six minutes of the first gun shot! Not sure how he got the gun into the school. Did they have metal detectors?
Walz on Twitter: “Our hearts are with the families and community of Winder, Georgia as our nation reels from yet another tragic school shooting. Our actions need to be there too. We must do everything in our power to keep students and educators safe.”
Notice anything? I sure did! The GOP response is the same old “thoughts and prayers”, which is fine. Very nice. But, it never addresses any action needed.
Meanwhile, the Democratic responses send thoughts and prayers, along with a call to actually do something!
Oh and while I’m at it, Georgia Governor Kemp responded as well. It should be noted that Georgia has some of the most lax gun laws in the US. Kemp signed a law allowing someone to carry a handgun without a state issued permit!
Kemp’s initial response was to offer all the support he could for the school and the community. Later in the week, however, he echoed the standard GOP line – it’s not the time to discuss changes to gun laws, etc. So, the standard “thoughts and prayers” and Trump’s line from an earlier shooting of we’ve got to get over it!
Serious question here – when is the time to discuss gun laws? GOP lawmakers, both state and federal, have continually said that it’s not time to discuss changes immediately after an incident occurs. However, they don’t seem any more willing to discuss changes well after the incidents, either.
So, again, when is the time? How many more students have to die or be wounded? How many more students need the trauma of living through such a nightmare?
I find it more than ironic that the GOP is willing to discuss and legislate my uterus in what’s called “pro life”. But, they are unwilling to discuss and/or legislate anything doing with guns that kill and maim our children! What is wrong with this picture??
One more point – it’s often touted that violence on TV and in movies, violent video games, etc. all contribute to the violence perpetrated by these youngsters at school. That’s fine – I’m not a fan of violent video games, either. However, the United States is not unique in this regard. Many other countries have access to the same TV shows/movies and video games, without the mass school shootings! So, what’s the difference? Most of those countries, while they allow citizens to own guns, they have common sense gun laws!
I’m all for protecting freedoms for all, including the freedom to own a gun (much as I hate guns and would never own one myself). However, I am sick and tired of hearing about the second amendment. When that amendment was written, it was definitely a different time. Citizens had muskets that shot only one round before having to navigate a tedious reloading procedure to shoot again. Not so today! I doubt very seriously the Founding Fathers actually anticipated the high-tech killing machines we have on the market today!
We regulate the age at which a person is lawfully allowed to operate a motor vehicle. We regulate the age at which a person is lawfully allowed to drink alcohol (though many ignore this). But heaven forbid we regulate ownership and/or operation of a gun, whose sole purpose is to kill. That’s what assault rifles are – they were designed for military warfare. It’s ridiculous the lengths to which lawmakers will go to “protect” these “rights” all for the gun lobbyists, mainly the NRA!
To echo VP Harris – IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!
In My Humble Opinion 