The Gunning Down of Our Children Is an Unavoidable Fact of American Life

There are so many terrifying elements of American life today that it’s hard to find one that stands out above the rest.  And, to be sure, our choices in this matter depend on our lives’ circumstances.

If I had lost a child to any of the hundreds of school shootings, the fact that the gun lobby essentially owns our lawmakers might have raised itself a little more forcefully in my prioritization of social wrongs.

As it turns out, however, I do have a schoolmate who lost her six-year-old boy, Dylan, at Sandy Hook.  She speaks at our reunions, which punches this home to me.  I tear up every time she speaks, and trust me, I’m not alone.

Having said that, despite the best efforts of many millions of people of conscience and decency, it seems that we’re utterly powerless to do anything about the carnage.  Unless you’re a billionaire with voice and compassion, the best you can do is is what the father in the photo did: tackle your kid and hope that you’re the one who takes the bullet.