More Than 166,000 . . .

"How can we let the voices of gun dealers and manufacturers drown out the cries of children?"  asks Marian Wright Edelman, CEO of the Children's Defense Fund.  See her article, "Numb--Spiritually Dead--Nation."  (Sorry,  the direct link to the article itself didn't work, but here's a link to Huff Post.   www.huffingtonpost.com)

I was stunned to see these numbers:   Since 1963, more than 166,000 children and teens have died from guns on American soil—more than triple the number of U.S. soldiers killed in the Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq wars combined.

 

(Image from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America/Facebook)

 

 

How ironic that our nation's treasure continues to be invested in "fighting terrorism,"  defending ourselves against it— while terrorism is flourishing on our own city streets, down dirt roads in our rural areas and any damn where there are firearms.  Babies shooting babies.  Guns being marketed to six year olds and being purchased by their parents!  A tragedy like Newtown grabs our collective conscience for a while, preys on our minds and grips our hearts.  Then the instant a political "scandal" or a natural disaster becomes the lead story, the issue of gun violence turns into white noise.   

If any of you have been procrastinating about taking some action, Marian Wright Edelman's article is a call to spiritual awakening.  Read it, please, and then let's get to it.  Or back to it.   We can e-mail and sign petitions, even on holiday weekends.  You can call your representatives in Washington and any other Senators and members of Congress you can make time to call.  And, yes, do call the White House.  Call about legislation and regulations to ensure fewer of our children experience gun violence.  Experiencing means being wounded, killed or traumatized by witnessing  gun-generated terrorism.  The mental and emotional state of our children is fragile.  And they are all our children.  Living in fear erodes the goodness in humans.  And it leads to depression.   Surely we can fight for our children's physical and emotional well-being.  For their lives.  Surely we can raise our voices so a little boy can celebrate his 10th birthday without fear of being shot in a random act of violence a third time. 

On Monday we will memorialize those who have died in wars.  How about also taking time to memorialize more than 166,000 children and teens who have perished as a result of gun violence since 1963?   How about turning this shameful number into positive action, into advocacy for children?  Into doing whatever it takes for their cries to be heard over such voices as Wayne LaPierre's for the NRA.  Let's get to work and make this a memorable Memorial Day.

 

Noted on Sunday, May 26:  NBC News reports that the TSA seized 65 firearms this past week at airport security checkpoints; 54 of the guns were loaded.  The only person I want "carrying" on my flight is the federal marshal who might be on board.  Don't get me started on the subject guns in bars and restaurants.   Mercy.  I may never eat out again.