Protecting Guns, Sacrificing (Some) Children
"In 2008, 2,947 children and teens died from guns in the United States and 2,793 died in 2009 for a total of 5,740," details Protect Children Not Guns 2012 (Children's Defense Fund), "—one child or teen every three hours, eight every day, 55 every week for two years" (p. 2).
Tragedy is often reserved for single catastrophic events, but cumulative loss is no less tragic, particularly when the lives of innocent children and teens are placed in the context of daily violence.
While the places of mass shootings have become part of the lore of the U.S.—Columbine, Aurora, Fort Hood, Newtown—and while 24-hour news reporting blankets these tragedies,President Obama's proclaiming "they're all our children" and admitting American's failing their children can offer only tempered hope since political leaders and the public remain incapable of confronting and addressing the daily toll America's gun and violence fetish takes on
