Montini: Florida school shooting will not change a thing
EJ Montini: We follow a routine. We pray. We mourn. We express outrage. We don't do a thing.
EJ Montini
It’s an American thing.
Regular mass shootings.
The mass shooting at a high school in Broward County, Florida, is … normal.
Accepted.
Almost, admit it, ho hum.
Almost one mass shooting per day
According to According to Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks gun-related death and injury reports said there were 345 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2017.
So far this year – and we’re only in February – there are estimated to be at least 17 shootings in schools.
Schools.
This time it was Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., outside of Miami.
The reasons for the shootings vary – as if such things could have “reasons." The results are the same. Needless deaths.
A well-worn routine
Afterward, we tend to follow a much-practiced routine.
We condemn the shooting. We mourn the loss. We call for something to be done (knowing it won't). We move on.
Oh, yeah, and the president always weighs in.
Prayers. Condolences. Assistance.
But never, ever, legislation.
President Donald Trump tweeted:
We never know where or when the next mass shooting will occur.
We only know – without any doubt – that it will happen.
We've grown accustomed to them. We expect them.
When another one occurs we mourn the dead. We tell ourselves we must do something.
We don’t.
Murder followed by ... inaction
Those who oppose any and all form of firearm legislation will tell us today that it’s too soon to talk about such things.
It’s always too soon to talk about such things.
At least with politicians who are owned by the gun lobby.
It’s frustrating.
It’s normal.
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People like us, who live thousands of miles away from this latest tragedy, breathe a sigh of relief because the shooting didn’t occur in our neighborhood, our city, our state.
The news will last for a few days. A week or two, maybe.
Then we’ll wait.
We never know where or when the next mass shooting will occur.
We only know – without any doubt – that it will happen.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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