Part One: Lives in disarray
As an author of fiction, I draw on a fairly vivid imagination. Yet never have I conjured what occurred in Newport News, Virginia last Friday; twenty-five-year-old Abby Zwerner was shot by one of her students, a six-year-old boy. This child, whose identity and that of his family/caregivers has been concealed, took a loaded handgun to school and in an altercation he shot his teacher.
A six-year-old youngster shot his teacher.
I've been mulling over this absurd yet true statement all weekend. I've prayed for all involved, including the rest of those children within Ms. Zwerner's class, who were ordered to flee for safety. I've pondered some rather far-flung scenarios amid this nation's ultra-conservative right wing who claim any infringement on the second amendment is damaging to their rights as gun owners. I've wondered how the newly sworn in members of the House of Representatives responded, especially those that spent all of last week asserting their rights to keep that chamber from doing its job. I've considered how polarized is this country, and that if this latest horror doesn't usher in changes to America's obsession with weapons of harm what sort of catastrophe will, if any? All of that made for many moments of unrest within my soul, on a variety of levels; a young woman remains in hospital because she was shot by a child at her place of work.
A young woman was shot by a child at her place of work. Other children witnessed this violence.
Part of me fears that America is so far down a road of insanity when it comes to common sense laws concerning gun safety that nothing will change. Hardline second amendment advocates will continue to assert their litanies. A divided legislature won't enact any meaningful measures. But I want to repeat what has occurred: A young woman was shot by a child at her place of work. That is indisputable.
Heroes and villains make up fiction. Who is the villain here, a six-year-old? Could that child have truly understood his actions? My heartbeat fluctuates as I write this post, how depraved is such a notion, that a child placed in his backpack a loaded firearm, taking it to school. That this child knew enough about the gun to use it. Who teaches a child such vile lessons? In what kind of society is this level of mayhem acceptable?
Abby Zwerner's life will never be as it was before. Neither will this child or his classmates or those close to them. Any person who finds this news less than greatly disturbing needs to deeply examine the dangerous road this nation continues to pursue in relation to enacting responsible gun laws.
A young woman was shot by a child. Evil festers within America.
