Montini: Are college kids worth more than street kids?

The shooting early Friday at Northern Arizona University was an awful thing, and we pray for the family of the murdered student and the three who were wounded.

The incident is getting a lot of attention. Local and national.

Not every shooting involving young men gets that kind of attention.

They should.

Every single shooting should get the attention that this incident will garner. Maybe then we'd do something about gun violence.

Last year The Arizona Republic took a quick survey of homicide victims in Phoenix for the first half of the year. Just the first half.  The paper found that 63 percent of the 70 victims were under the age of 35. And that 76 percent of the victims were male. And that 63 percent had been killed by a gun.

At NAU the police said that the shooting occurred between young men who’d been arguing.

That’s not unusual.

That happens on the streets of Phoenix and on the streets of every American big city just about every day.

Because of the easy availability of firearms and the pervasive gun culture that exists there are shootings like this every day. There are young men killing other young men every day.

The incident at NAU wasn’t like the mass shootings we’ve experience lately.

Reports indicate that this was more confrontational. More of a fight between young men.

That happens in our streets every day.

It doesn’t draw statements from big time politicians.

But it does when it happens on a college campus.

Gov. Doug Ducey issued a statement saying: “ I join Arizonans from all across our state in praying for the victims of this morning’s tragic shooting, their families and the entire Northern Arizona University community. This heartbreaking incident will impact many of our fellow citizens, and I ask all Arizonans to keep them and the family of the individual lost in their thoughts and prayers as they cope with this tragedy. The state stands ready to assist local law enforcement and first responders in any way needed to ensure the recovery of those injured and the continued safety of NAU and the Flagstaff community.”

Sen. John McCain issued a similar statement, saying: “My thoughts and prayers are with families of the person who was killed and the three others who were wounded in the horrific shooting on the campus of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff early this morning. I appreciate the efforts of all state and local law enforcement officials, first-responders and school administrators, and continue to pray for the recovery of the injured, as well as all those in the NAU community who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy.”

I believe that what these politicians said to be honest and heartfelt, and I’d guess that most of us feel the same way. But why aren't there similar statements issued after every shooting that takes the life of a young person? Or every person, period.

Why don’t we feel this way about every young person who is killed by a firearm?

Are street kids worth less of our time and attention and sympathy than college kids?