Reflection on Loss

We received word today that the brother of a student was murdered in Kansas City, Kansas. Few of the details are known, but it made me think. There are at least three of our current students who have lost a loved one to violence. One of our assistant principal's nieces was murdered many years ago in a small town in Kansas and my sister-in-law was killed by her husband. That's a lot of violence and I teach in a small (300 student) Catholic high school in the midwest. What are other families and schools enduring in other areas? Violence is not confined to inner city streets or rural midwestern small towns. All of us are affected by violence. How can we reduce reliance on violence as a solution to our problems? I grew up in a gun owning household where my dad owned guns of every size and type. A part-time deputy sheriff for Miller County, he had a gun that he routinely carried when he worked that job. He was a bird hunter and had a few shotguns. My brothers grew up learning to shoot but I didn't care that much about it. My sister-in-law is a gun owner and both of my brothers have collections. So I am not anti-gun. But. I do believe that easy access to weapons has made it much easier to solve disputes with violence. And, I don't just blame easy access to guns for the rampant violence that threatens my security and santiy. Video games glorify violence as do too many of the songs and artists that our young people admire. The lack of social service support for segments of our population leads to an uptick in the number of domestic assaults. The free and open internet makes violent images instantly available. We routinely (it seems) watch henious violent acts against journalists, soldiers, and others by terrorist groups in the Mideast and elsewhere. I wish I had an easier answer. I wish it troubled more people that images of violence and stories of loss make up much of the day to day reality for hundreds and thousands of people. Simply turning off the television or turning away doesn't solve the problem. Our leaders grapple with so many tough societal issues. Solving these issues will take determination, sacrifice, commitment. We cannot leave our children their children a legacy of violence. Too much is at stake.