Editor’s Note: The Greenwood Index-Journal published this editorial today. We republish it with the newspaper’s permission.
Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo
Jacklyn Cazares
Evelyn Dieckhaus
Makenna Lee Elrod
Jose Manuel Flores Jr.
Eliahna Garcia
Uziyah Garcia
Amerie Jo Garza
William Kinney
Xavier Lopez
Jayce Carmelo Luevanos
Tess Mata
Maranda Mathis
Alithia Ramirez
Annabell Rodriguez
Maite Rodriguez
Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio
Layla Salazar
Hallie Scruggs
Jailah Nicole Silguero
Eliahna Torres
Rojelio Torres
Do you recognize any of those names? They’re listed in alphabetical order. There’s a good chance that three sound familiar, even if mixed in with 19 other names that are not so familiar to you.
How about the dates May 24, 2022 and March 27, 2023? Familiar?
Yes, the list represents the 19 children who were gunned down at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last May and the three who were gunned down only days ago at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.
They are all elementary age children.
They are children who will never go to middle or high school.
They are children who will never drive a car.
They are children who will never go on a date.
They are children who will never attend or graduate from college.
They are children who will never get married.
They are children who will never raise a family.
They are children who will never have grandchildren.
They are children who will never retire from jobs.
They are children who will never know and enjoy their senior years.
Do you recognize or know another common thread here?
These two school shootings took place almost exactly 10 months apart and absolutely nothing — nothing — has been done in any sort of effort to prevent more such carnage. Instead, many states’ lawmakers are apparently hellbent on easing gun restrictions, allowing teens and adults to openly carry weapons and removing all or nearly all barriers to people’s right to bear arms.
Too bad they don’t think as highly of the children’s rights to attend school, date, graduate, marry, raise a family, enjoy grandkids and enjoy their senior years in retirement.
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