It is somewhat encouraging that you included an article from Catholic News Service in the May 25 issue on the recent school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. But other than expressing deep sadness for this incident, there was little that Cardinal Daniel DiNardo had to offer in the way of concrete action.
We as Catholics don’t hesitate to speak up, march and take other actions regarding abortion, but we can’t seem to find our voices regarding the gun issue.
Yes, we bemoan the degradation of our culture as the blame for these school shootings, but we just can’t mention the word “gun.” We like to say that “it is not about the guns,” as we express our thoughts and prayers.
To the young people in our schools, however, it is absolutely about the guns. Our young people are the ones facing the muzzles of the guns and getting wounded or killed.
To them, our feeble excuses about culture, mental illness and Second Amendment rights don’t mean too much.
And surely they are wondering why we are not standing up for them in supporting real action on gun control. Police Chief Art Acevedo of Houston, Texas, got it right when he recently said, “This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction; it’s a time for prayers, action and asking of God forgiveness for our inaction.”
Kenneth Schammel lives in Cornelius.