I'm sick of the shootings

and you should be, too

I wrote a blog post and never published it, as I often do, but this one wasn’t about cancer. It was written a few days after the school shooting in Nashville on March 27, 2023. I thought at the time that my post would upset people, or come off as reactionary (which it is not, my feelings revealed below are consistent with how I’ve felt since Columbine), or make them think I was targeting them or judging them when that was not my intent. Since March 27, however, we have had even MORE shootings in America, and I can’t be silent anymore. The most prevalent in my mind are the most recent ones that happened in Texas, Georgia, and even in my home state of Mississippi. Overall in 2023 there have been 185 mass shootings. 254 people – Americans – have died because of mass shootings. 708 Americans have been wounded. Three of these shootings have happened at schools or universities.

If we scroll through Twitter, we see the same sterile messages from our leaders, Democrat and Republican alike. They all echo a similar sentiment – that some vague something has to be done, that they are thinking of the victims and praying for the families, and then after an acceptable amount of time, it’s back to the regularly scheduled programming. But as a society and a country, haven’t we had enough of this? Isn’t there something we can do that is helpful, protects our fellow man, and doesn’t punish the innocent? I believe that there is, and we can only find the appropriate actions to take if we have the tough conversations required.

I am not one to get too wrapped up in conspiracy theories about WHY we don’t see any action being taken by our leaders. It’s an undeniable fact that in America, the second amendment protects gun owners. Another thing for our leaders to consider – gun owners vote. And, to be honest, responsible gun owners are not the problem. Most people on my side of the family are responsible gun owners. But surely people can see that there are glaring issues with the ease at which people can acquire weapons.

Below is the post that I wrote the week of the Covenant School shooting here in Nashville.

---

I wrote this letter on Tuesday of this week. The unfortunately familiar gut punch had struck once again just the day before– another school shooting, this time in Nashville. It happened 10 miles from my home in a neighborhood I am very familiar with. I’m sure you know the story, but for posterity’s sake I’ll describe the events: a single shooter entered a private Christian school, killed 3 children, all 9 years old, and three staff at the school before being shot and killed by police. This event has rocked our community to the core, perhaps more than anyone else our parents and teachers.

At times like this, it’s easy to feel helpless. I never know what to do. I feel like the school shooting debate revolves around the same two things every time: the ease of accessing guns and mental health.

Still, I was uneasy just saying a prayer and leaving it at that. Though I feel rather helpless, I decided to write a letter to Gov. Bill Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, and Representative Andy Ogles. Below is my letter.

Like many Nashville residents, my family and I are deeply disturbed by the shooting at the Covenant school yesterday. I am a father to three small boys, ages 3 months to 4 years old, and the feeling of helplessness after witnessing such a senseless crime is nearly unbearable. This is why I am reaching out to you, hoping that at least I can share my perspective and give my thoughts on how to combat this persistent issue.

I know that coming up with a solution to these shootings is not an easy task. We haven’t been able to do it since these have started. But I have a few suggestions that I would love to send. First, I want to preface with this fact: I do not hate guns. I grew up in a small rural town in North Mississippi where gun ownership is revered. I hunted as a child, I took hunter’s safety courses, I learned how to use and respect a weapon. However, I have also been a victim of gun violence. I obviously lived, but the event scarred me for years. Through therapy and my faith, I am free from that anger, hatred, resentment, and fear. There is a healthy medium that I believe we can reach, and I think it starts with education.

I believe that people who buy guns should be rigorously tested before owning them. Their backgrounds should truly be checked first, in depth, looking out for instability or mental issues. After purchase, the owner should be required to take gun safety courses before the guns are released to them. This is a lot of work, but it feels worth it. Besides that, anyone who cares more about a gun than a human life, frankly in my opinion, should not own a weapon. It’s selfish and cruel. This feels like a no-brainer to me – if my hobby were part of a reason why children were slaughtered, I would happily give it up.

I understand the argument about bad guys getting their hands on guns regardless of laws. This is true. But we cannot continue to sit around and do nothing. Some restrictions could help. As a parent I cannot allow that to happen. The shooter from yesterday obtained her guns LEGALLY. This brings me to my next point: I fail to see any reason why a person needs an AR-15. This weapon is meant to shred and destroy. It’s not useful for hunting. It’s a killing machine. I ask you to please push for a ban on AR-15s and similar weaponry meant for military use.

The glorification and worship of guns in our country, and specifically in the South, flies in the face of my faith, and your faith as well. I see that you are a Christian. Jesus asked us to turn the other cheek when struck by our enemy – full disclosure, this is indeed difficult to do. Jesus rebuked Peter when he cut off the ear of a guard. Matthew 26:52 states, “All those who take the sword shall perish by the sword.” I am not saying He was a pure pacifist – He drove out money changers from the temple, He in prophecy tells us of violence which will occur. But I have a hard time reasoning that Jesus, who also tells me that loving my neighbor is the greatest of all commandments, would want us to continue allowing one another to senselessly murder each other, and would instead rather we take action where and when we can.

I appreciate your time and ask you to please consider my words when coming up with a workable solution to protect our community.

Sincerely,
Adam Robinson

---

I received a stock response first from Senator Blackburn that reiterated her compassion for the victims and a link to a video where she and Senator Hagerty shared their intention to pray for the victims and their families. I was also added to her e-mail newsletter. I never heard back from Gov. Lee, though I have seen his subsequent calls for action (which I applaud). Rep. Ogles did not respond but was kind enough to place me on his mailing list for not only e-mail, but also physical mail. Senator Hagerty sent an email to me that addressed my concerns and, even though we did not really agree on much of anything, his reply was the one that I appreciated the most – taking the time to push back respectfully is always appreciated instead of railroading or ignoring me. Also, I don’t want to look like I’m picking on Republicans. Democrats are faring no better, there just weren’t any Democrat leaders for me to reach out to here in my state. But the tweets and statements from leading Democrats – including President Biden – are the same hollow, non-committal statements about a vague something that has to be done. (EDIT: After I had written this piece, I saw this article. I am skeptical, of course, but I hope that saving lives can be a bipartisan agreement).

Even after having shared my thoughts, I suppose I don’t feel like anything has changed. I feel defeated with each shooting, and they seem to be happening daily. I’m just not sure what it’s going to take to make any changes – even small ones – happen. I would think that our children being senselessly killed would be the catalyst for change but I have been thoroughly proven wrong. As a parent of three small children, I shudder when I leave them at daycare or even take them out in public. I spoke with our daycare extensively, and they have implemented various new ways to protect our children. They’re spending money on security systems instead of using it for books. Paying crisis trainers instead of pouring those funds into their teachers.

For privacy reasons I won’t disclose the details, but one recent shooting affected my family directly. They were inside of a building where an active shooter killed at least one person and injured more. Thankfully they were okay physically, but gun violence takes a toll.

During my senior year of high school, I was flagged down as I drove home by a shirtless man on the side of a dirt road. I trust people inherently, and though this man looked a little suspicious, I slowed down my car. As I rolled down my window, I heard the “clink” of metal tapping my window. I looked up and saw an image I still see in dark moments. A man with black, glossy eyes was holding a silver pistol. The barrel was pressed against my half-rolled down window, inches from my temple. He was smiling a toothless grin and staring into my eyes. Instinctively I laid my seat back and punched the gas. I drove uphill, and finally worked up the nerve to sit upright and look in my rearview mirror. He had turned away from me and was holding his pistol behind his back, seemingly waiting for the next car to come along.

I was lucky. I got away and later, after he shot my friend’s father (who was okay!), he was killed. But not after he had shot at other people I knew. He was high on meth, living in a trailer in the woods. And he had access to a gun. The after effects on me personally were that I had to deal with kids at school telling me what I should have done instead of driving away – that I should have turned around and run him over. I had to deal with one kid telling me that I was the reason why his uncle was killed. I had to deal with the cold chill I felt every time someone walked a little too close to my car. For years I carried that pain and fear. Imagine how much worse it would be for a kid, trapped in the classroom as his or her friends are killed for no reason. Imagine the guilt we should feel if we choose to just sit by and do nothing.

As a parent, I am always on the lookout. When my kids are in the car, I don’t honk at other drivers. I don’t engage with people who seem a little “off.” I try to be level-headed and calm in any situation so that my boys can learn that trait. I will teach my children to stand up for themselves but also to pick their battles. Ultimately, for better or worse, the onus is on us. It always has been, unfortunately, even in a superpower country. And I’m sick of sitting around waiting for leaders to do their job. I will continue to write them and bother them about this. I will try not to be disillusioned and apathetic when people are just senselessly dying. I am praying for the mentally ill, and I’m praying for victims, but I’m taking action. Our country is better than this and we as a people are better than this.

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:14-17