Lesson #2149 - Guns

There is no easy solution in any direction, and I do not profess to know what the solution is, either. And I know that some people will say "Not all gun owners" but we really need to think about "Yes all children" in response. We need to keep talking about it because that's the only way we act. And it's easier for more to be brave when at least a few are.

[Follow up: since posting, several people have pointed out to me that the "74" number that was reported in multiple sources may be too broad - that this number includes all gun shootings at schools, including adult individuals who went to a school at night to commit suicide with a gun. Whether or not you're okay with suicides using a gun is not the point - these are not the standard 'school shootings', a three word phrase that in itself is a little horrifying. Some news sources have since said that the number should actually be 15, or even 7. But that reduction disqualifies a number of incidents that are still significant - incidents like where students playing basketball in the school playground got into an argument leading to shots being fired. Do we have to be only concerned with 'school shootings' or are 'shootings at schools' not also worthy of finding a solution for? If gang related violence is also spilling over to schools, how is that not just as much of a concern as a lone individual going on a 'hunt' - shouldn't we not need to worry about children's safety when we send them off to school anyway? Some sources have said that college shootings should not count - but as a professor, I certainly worry about my students as much as if they were my actual children, so I find that distinction particularly difficult to accept. Finally, the "74" number also doesn't include shooting incidents like the recent one where several students were shot outside a sorority and around the campus - just because the shooting never actually took place on the campus grounds. So there's likely leeway in both directions on the actual number.

I do wish that I had found any of the reports dissecting the number before posting the comic, but regardless, the message of the comic still stands. Whether the number is 74 or 60 or 45 or 30 or 15 or whatever, we still have a problem on our hands that requires a solution. And if we can work with composure, determination, passion and compassion to finding that solution, then we won't ever need to debate the number again. And isn't that worth working for?]

BONUS STW: I did a multipanel piece for Medium about mapping and searching for satire, and I'm pretty happy with it - so please enjoy if you will!

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