And Another and Another and Another: A Group of Schoolchildren Is a Target

One of my favorite books for a long time has been American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Along with telling a thrilling story, he manages to capture the essence of the U.S. The book really understands and reflects aspects of America--in many ways, most of which I won't get into right now.

A core part of this story Gaiman tells relies on the idea that belief is power, and that when people believe in beings it generates them. The more belief, the more power created, the more powerful the being. These are the "gods," these beings we create and power with our belief. And not simple wishful thinking, but active worship and sacrifice.

At the heart of the story is a conflict between the "old gods" and the "new gods." The old gods are those of traditional folklore, superstition, and immigrant religions. Thor, leprechauns, Anansi, and many others. A huge variety of minor figures brought to life by belief from the wide diversity of people who settled the U.S. The new gods are those pieces of modernity we less knowingly "worship" and "sacrifice to" every day: media, technology, automobiles, and others, all given form as personified, powerful people.

The book was published in 2001. It was turned into a TV show that premiered in 2017. There were some things I liked about the show, but I felt it ultimately failed to capture the essence and feel of the book. I stopped watching after one season. It was cancelled after three seasons, story unfinished.

One of the best things about the show was the creation of a new character, Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, who has renewed himself by binding himself to guns and those who worship them. From an EW article:

He’s based on the Roman god of metalworking and volcanoes … so, essentially, the god of weaponry and fire, which translates into a modern character who has done fairly well for himself in a country where guns reign in the discourse.

“Vulcan’s the god of the volcano and the forge, and what is the modern-day extrapolation of what that god could do?” muses co-showrunner Bryan Fuller. “We started talking about America’s obsession with guns and gun control and, really, if you’re holding a gun in your hand, it’s a mini volcano, and perhaps, through this character, there’s a conversation to be had.” . . . 

“He’s a brand-new addition who came from an experience Neil had. He was going through a small town in Alabama where he saw a statue of Vulcan. It was a steel town and, as he told the story, there was a factory that had a series of accidents where people were killed on the job and they kept happening because an actuarial had done the numbers and realized that it was cheaper to pay out the damages to the families of people who lost people, rather than to shut down the factory long enough to repair, and that occurred to him as modern a definition of sacrifice as there might be.”

Every time a gun is fired, it's a form of worship and Vulcan gains power. Every time someone is shot, it's a sacrifice to that personified god that powers him even more. There is power in American belief in guns. Guns are an American religion.

In the bible, Luke 12:34, Jesus says:

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I would guess many people are familiar with this or similar versions of it. Though I would also guess that many people assume the order is reversed: that what you love determines where you put your treasure--your money, time, energy, thoughts, emotion. That love determines action.

But that's not what it says; it says the opposite, that actions demonstrate love. What people hoard--what possessions they keep, what they spend their money on, what they put their time and energy into--that determines what they love.

Americans hoard guns. Treasure guns. Guns are American treasure. Guns are where American hearts are also.

Guns are an American religion.

Yesterday there was another mass shooting at an American elementary school. Last week there was another mass shooting at a public space motivated by race. There is always another. And another and another and another. They keep happening. And nothing changes. It's the same story again and again and again.

Other countries have made changes. Famously, Australia and New Zealand both enacted major gun control laws after their first mass shootings, NZ just a couple of years ago. Neither country has had another. They made changes, and those changes worked. Other countries don't enact the worship of guns the ways we do, and they experience different results.

'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens, The Onion repeats every time we have another.

Here's today's version:

‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

UVALDE, TX—In the hours following a violent rampage in Texas in which a lone attacker killed at least 21 individuals and injured several others, citizens living in the only country where this kind of mass killing routinely occurs reportedly concluded Tuesday that there was no way to prevent the massacre from taking place. “This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them,” said Idaho resident Kathy Miller, echoing sentiments expressed by tens of millions of individuals who reside in a nation where over half of the world’s deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the past 50 years and whose citizens are 20 times more likely to die of gun violence than those of other developed nations. “It’s a shame, but what can we do? There really wasn’t anything that was going to keep this individual from snapping and killing a lot of people if that’s what they really wanted.” At press time, residents of the only economically advanced nation in the world where roughly two mass shootings have occurred every month for the past eight years were referring to themselves and their situation as “helpless.”

Here's a screen capture of their website today, showing a hint of the accumulation of repeated versions.

And another and another and another

New metal "safety doors" where I work

Earlier this spring, in Of Sabotage and Preschool Celebrities, I briefly reported how I was part of a school event that involved a shooting.

A couple weeks ago I was leading a four-hour workshop in Zoom. Students and teachers from seven area high schools. There was a team of us presenting, moderating, and facilitating, but I was the hosting talking head. About halfway through, one of the schools had a shooting incident. Everyone was muted for a presentation and most of the student cameras were off, but one of them put a quick note in the chat. Other updates gradually emerged, a few from those in that building, a few from others in contact with friends who were in the building, a few from the news. In the end it was an isolated incident and no one involved with us was hurt, but their school was locked down and they all signed off.

In the moment, though, none of us knew what was happening. We had a few glimpses of those in the building pacing, anxious, on phones, managing a few vague things to us in the chat. Most of the other schools and students ended up leaving the workshop early because seeing it all happening and imagining the worst was traumatic. One of the reactions to the first chat notification was a teacher from another school saying it was probably a drill and that they'd just had a drill as well. Students live with this constant fear that they might be next. Because it happens. And now all of those students have experienced it or watched it happen.

I've seen the trauma happen. It's not always them or someplace else or someone else. It's too widespread for that. It happens and it happens and it happens.

It's happening to all of us, all the time.

(It's happened in my small home town of 3,000).

I try not to dwell on this topic too much because it is so traumatic and because more shouting about it doesn't usually help. Nevertheless, because there is always another and another, it does keep coming up. From last summer, for example, in Acknowledging Children as Philosophical Thinkers, I included:

I shared last year The Gun Debates Prepared Me for America's COVID-19 Response:

As a shooting survivor who works to educate people about gun violence and advocate for gun reform in the United States, I have spent years trying to convince people that it is worth making personal sacrifices for the sake of the collective good. That’s how I knew that if surviving this pandemic was riding on the event that people would willingly choose to give up a small amount of personal freedom to protect someone else, we were already in a losing battle.

And now we see:

There Have Been, On Average, 10 Mass Shootings In The U.S. Each Week This Year

We're just 18 weeks into 2021, and already the U.S. has experienced 194 mass shootings. That averages out to about 10 a week.

The tally comes from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the shooter. . . . 

Here are the 11 attacks that took place just this weekend alone . . . 

It's all connected. We have to be willing to make small, personal sacrifices for the collective good.

And I still stand by my argument from 2013, in Okay, So, Guns, as the crux of the issue.

I absolutely agree that our (lacking) approach to mental health in this country is a big issue and desperately needs to be improved. We don't help and support each other nearly enough.

But, no matter how compassionate our system, how understanding our overall treatment of each other as a society in general, how caring we are as individuals, there will always be people who are dangerously ill. And the rest of us will always, always, always remain emotional creatures given to moments (at the least) of anger and aggression and violence. People are always going to try to hurt each other, regardless of any other factors. So why do we want to improve our ability to maximize the amount of damage we can do to each other when that happens?  People kill people, but guns make it far, far easier and the harm exponentially greater. It doesn't have to be that way.

As this article points out, there were actually two school school rampages on that same day. The one in China lead to 22 injuries by a knife. The one in the U.S. led to 28 deaths by a gun. Similar situations, similar "bad guys" doing the most harm they possibly could. Incredibly different amounts of harm done. That, to me, says it all.

The more capability for damage we allow, the more damage we're going to get. If we continue to worship guns, we're going to get another shooting and another and another.

All of which is a way of building to my saying I've reached the point where I feel that a vote for a Republican is a vote to shoot my children.

Each new incident, I'm filled with renewed rage that it didn't have to be this way. We could be doing things differently and seeing different results. This didn't have to happen. These children didn't have to die. These adults didn't have to die. These communities didn't have to be traumatized. We don't all have to live with this fear. It is a choice.

Other laws, policies, and approaches are possible. But one of our national religions is guns. It is a religion, largely, of the Republican party. It is Republican politicians who enact the beliefs of our gun worship, who institutionalize them and turn them into law, who fight any attempt at change that could lessen the impact of guns and reduce the number of shootings we experience.

I know reality is complicated, with many different factors impacting every situation. I know every vote involves many issues, many more than this single one. I know the situation isn't really this simple. Nevertheless, that is my emotion. I can't not feel that Republicans are actively working to increase the likelihood that my children are shot.

And I know my saying this won't change your mind if you are a Republican, if you worship at the altar of guns. This is not how to convince you, I know. But I hope it does get your attention enough to surprise you. Knowing that there are (many) people like me, who see you taking your belief and turning it into action with your votes, which elect politicians who make sure these deaths will continue. I hope knowing we feel this way about you at least gives you pause and makes you reflect.

Complexities of reality aside, this is my overwhelming emotion: every time you vote for a Republican candidate in our current political climate, you are taking action to cause more people--more children--maybe my children--to get shot. You are responsible for this.

Some words from others:

Beto O'Rourke Interrupts Uvalde School Shooting News Conference, Tells Gov. Abbott 'This Is on You'

Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke interrupted Gov. Greg Abbott’s news conference in Uvalde on Wednesday, blaming the governor for the elementary school shooting.

O’Rourke, who is running against Abbott for governor, approached the stage and told Abbott: “This is on you.”

“You said this was not predictable? This is totally predictable when you choose not to do anything,” he said, blaming Abbott’s policies for the shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 children and two adults dead Tuesday morning.

Last year, Abbott signed into law legislation that allows most Texans to buy a handgun without a permit. . . . 

O’Rourke talked to reporters outside Uvalde High School, where the press conference was taking place.

He said there are solutions the governor has ignored, like safe-storage gun laws and banning the sales of AR-15-style rifles.

“Those are … solutions that have been brought up by the people of Texas, each one of those has broad bipartisan support,” O’Rourke said. “Right now we could get that done if we had a governor who cared more about the people of Texas than he does his own political career or his fealty to the NRA.”

The National Rifle Association is holding its annual conference in Houston this weekend. Abbott is scheduled to make an appearance.

O’Rourke called out Abbott for talking about mental health in the press conference, when “it is insane that we allow an 18-year-old to go in and buy an AR-15.”

The suspect in the shooting is an 18-year-old male. He was killed by law enforcement.

According to law enforcement officials, the suspect bought two semi-automatic rifles in March at a local sporting goods store.

This is on you.

Warriors’ Steve Kerr Made an Impassioned Speech Following the Horrific School Shooting in Texas

“I’m not going to talk about basketball. Nothing’s happened with our team in the last six hours. We’re going to start the same way tonight. Any basketball questions don’t matter.

“Since we left, shootaround, 14 children were killed 400 miles from here, and a teacher. In the last 10 days, we’ve had elderly black people killed in a supermarket in Buffalo. We’ve had Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California. Now, we have children murdered at school.

“When are we going to something? I’m tired, I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.

“There’s 50 senators, right now, who refuse to vote on HR-8, which is a background check rule that the House passed a couple years ago. It’s been sitting there for two years. There’s a reason they won’t vote on it: to hold onto power.

“I ask you, Mitch McConnell, and ask all of you Senators who refuse to do anything about the violence, the school shootings, the supermarket shootings, I ask you: ‘are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children, our elderly, and our churchgoers?’ Because that’s what it looks like. That’s what we do every week. I’m fed up, I’ve had enough.

“We’re going to play the game tonight, but I want every person here, every person listening to this to think about your own child or grandchild, mother or father, sister or brother. How would you feel if this happened to you today? We can’t get numb to this. We can’t sit here and just read about it and go well, let’s have a moment of silence. Yay, go Dubs. Come on Mavs, let’s go. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go play a basketball game.

“Fifty Senators in Washington are going to hold us hostage. Do you realize 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political party, want universal background checks? We’re being held hostage by 50 senators in Washington who refuse to even put it to a vote, despite what we, the American people, want. They won’t vote on it, because they want to hold onto their own power. It’s pathetic. I’ve had enough.”

Are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children, our elderly, and our churchgoers?

From author A.S. King

So—some of my Facebook friends may want to take this time to explain the second Amendment to me. But they probably don’t know that I was once a fierce defender of that same amendment. I know their argument well. I used to use it. 

I was once an NRA member—not because I owned a gun—never have—but because I was once 12 and I liked to shoot targets. And I was good at it. And the NRA said, “Hey! You passed your expert marksman test and so here’s this patch and a two-year subscription to American Rifleman and when you get older you can join us for real and send us money!” I didn’t change my mind until I got a little older. 

Back then we had pro-choice Republicans and second-amendment Democrats. It was a different time. There was a place called “the aisle” where politicians could meet and actually make life safer for their constituents. Even if it made them slightly unpopular, they often did the right thing. 

Things have changed. And it’s time for us to mature to the new (ish) ways of this country. We have some serious problems. If we can’t figure out how to solve toxic masculinity and the system of white supremacy (aside from banning any mention of either in public schools? Wtf?) and we don’t care about the fact that mental illness is the #1 disease killing those aged 10-34, and affecting 25% of the population, then we at least have to figure out how to keep guns away from the people we are unwilling to help. We may have to consider sacrifice. I know. It’s hard. But maybe—just maybe—if we give up our leisure of killing for sport or food for a few decades, it could help save actual American children from dying. Wait. You’re not willing to consider that? Okay. So which of your children are you willing to lose? Can’t fathom it? Right. So basically, you’re really taking a stand for the…importance of…owning a killing machine…and you truly believe it can’t happen to your family. Huh. You don’t shock me. Empathy is in very short supply these days. Just remember this conversation we’re having on Sunday when you pray for things you aren’t willing to change. 

A well-armed militia or its nonviolent counterpart would have acted by now to take down politicians who sell out to corporations and special interests. Or politicians who lie and stir up insurrections or coups. Or politicians who support the de-education of its populace. A well-armed militia would not stand by and watch day after day as innocent citizens are gunned down. All while being cheered on by some elected officials who want more money from the NRA. It’s dirty. Anybody can see that. “But it’s happening and it means I can buy lots of guns!” Okay. Just so you know—you look like a child. Same as me, 12, good at something thinking I had a right to it because I was good at it. Because I liked it. Well, some people think that way about heroin. And I think that might be the best way to view Americans and guns now. We snort guns. We inject guns. We eat guns and smoke guns. And we’re damn proud of it. We sell baseball caps with AR-15s on them right smack in the middle of an American flag. We have made gun ownership a so-called patriotic American prerequisite. 

It’s all bullshit. You bought in. Sorry. 

The second amendment has become a new thing. It’s not about protecting citizens. It’s about protecting a way of life that is dangerous to our country and our children. It's now aligned with hate groups and being proud of dead babies. Like many policies before it, it has been twisted to mean something that it never meant to mean. 

Words are wily like that. They can change meanings in a split second. And isn’t that adorable—to be debating words on a day like this? Isn’t it the epitome of privilege to be gabbing it up about gun rights today? When 19 little caskets are being prepared in Texas. 

What. The. Fuck. Is. Wrong. With. Us. 

Grow up. Change your mind. Be a solution. 

Not here for a conversation. Comments are off.

Maybe—just maybe—if we give up our leisure of killing for sport or food for a few decades, it could help save actual American children from dying. Wait. You’re not willing to consider that? Okay. So which of your children are you willing to lose? Can’t fathom it? Right. So basically, you’re really taking a stand for the…importance of…owning a killing machine…and you truly believe it can’t happen to your family.

Kathy Fish

Collective Nouns for Humans in the Wild

A group of grandmothers is a tapestry. A group of toddlers, a jubilance (see also: a bewailing). A group of librarians is an enlightenment. A group of visual artists is a bioluminescence. A group of short story writers is a Flannery. A group of musicians is — a band.

A resplendence of poets.

A beacon of scientists.

A raft of social workers.

A group of first responders is a valiance. A group of peaceful protestors is a dream. A group of special education teachers is a transcendence. A group of neonatal ICU nurses is a divinity. A group of hospice workers, a grace.

Humans in the wild, gathered and feeling good, previously an exhilaration, now: a target.

A target of concert-goers.

A target of movie-goers.

A target of dancers.

A group of schoolchildren is a target.

And another and another and another.