A photo in the Colorado Independent about the Highlands Ranch STEM school shooting shows a young girl, maybe a first-grader, approaching security personnel with her hands over her head. Are you kidding me? A first-grader!
Somebody probably thought she might have an AK-47 stuck in her little pocket.
What should American society do about gun violence? Talking points are all over the social and political spectrum. The more we talk about it, the higher the rhetoric, the more emotional and cemented opinions become.
Another article I read was about a mother who took her three teenagers to a presentation about the climate crisis. Afterwards, all three kids were crying about the future they thought they faced. The same could be said about the issue of gun violence. A related article about the STEM school shooting quotes students who truly thought a shooting would happen at their school eventually.
All of us need to take a step back, maybe several, from our opinions and listen to others, especially our children. We need to learn to compromise and then work together toward solutions. It’s hard work, but critically important.
Ross A. Worley
Durango
