It’s Memorial Day weekend. It’s meant for us to remember all those we lost during military service. While we still do that, it has also become the unofficial start of summer. Barbecues. Boating. Fun.
Not this year. We are all still trying to wrap our brains around what happened in Uvalde, Texas. As this plays out and we are finding out more about what happened, heartache has turned into rage.
It’s the timeline that is so troubling. It’s now coming out that the gunman was in that school for an hour before he was killed by law enforcement.
From the Washington Post… the gunman roamed outside a Texas elementary school for about 12 minutes, entered without challenge and spent an hour inside before he was killed by law enforcement.
While all of this is happening, desperate parents are pleading with officers to do something, anything. What they did do was tackle these parents and handcuff them.
Some might say that Uvalde is a small town. They were doing the best they could. I would say, not anymore. Everyone has access to guns now. Every town and city, big or small, has to be ready, trained and drilled for this type of thing.
You have to hope that this time, maybe, just maybe, something will be done. The White House is pressing lawmakers to move on new legislation.
Connecticut Democrat Senator Chris Murphy is leading the talks for Democrats. He says he’s willing to accept just about any action, however incremental.
Murphy spoke at a gun control rally outside the Capitol. “If we don’t succeed, we’re having votes, we’re putting people on the record. One way or another, we are going to have a debate here.”
Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn is heading up the talks for Republicans. He told Fox News, “I think there’s a sense of urgency that maybe we didn’t feel before.” He went on. “But I think particularly mental health, access to mental health treatment, is high on that list.”
No one expects these bipartisan talks to lead to a ban on assault stile weapons. That’s what President Biden wants.
That said, at least they are talking. Republicans and Democrats. Talking.
It took another mass shooting to finally get something done. Maybe we didn’t lose these kids and their teachers in vain.
Memorial Day. That day we honor those lives lost in combat. This year, we will also remember those we lost at a school, at a grocery store and at a church. And those were just this month.