OAJ Hot Take: Eyes on the Aftermath
The piece below is part of our weekly blog post series written by the Open-Air Journal team where we explore issues at Heller, current events, or whatever is presently on our minds.
Author's Note: The content presented in this article deals with deeply disturbing and distressing subject material related to gun violence. There are firsthand accounts of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Reader discretion is advised.
On Nov. 16, 2023, at 6:00 a.m., the Washington Post published an article “Terror on Repeat: A rare look at the devastation caused by AR-15 shootings.” The Post’s chilling exposé of American gun violence analyzes multiple mass shootings. At the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the disturbing aftermath is revealed, with blood-soaked scenes haunting the premises. At First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, pews that once bore a peaceful aura were disrupted by gun violence, leaving carpets stained with tragedy. In Aurora, Colorado, spilled popcorn at the Century 16 movie theater serves as a haunting reminder, now mingled with blood that will forever alter the atmosphere of cinema. The jarring photos from these grim scenes show the depravity of a nation plagued with relentless gun violence. All these shootings involved an assault weapon of some kind.
Since the expiration of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Congress has failed to pass a federal assault weapons ban. Giffords Law Center found that, throughout the act’s life cycle, mass shooting fatalities were 70 percent less likely to occur and overall fewer people bought assault weapons. Researchers at the think tank Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, calculated that if the law stayed in effect from 2005-2019, it could have prevented 30 mass shootings and the death of over 300 people.
Congress is failing in its responsibility to protect Americans. If a classroom saturated in blood does not jolt elected officials into action, what will? After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, adults vowed “Never Again.” Yet, these tragedies continue to happen.
Now is the moment to shatter the deafening silence that has allowed the epidemic of gun violence to persist. The haunting scenes detailed in the Washington Post's feature demand more than our sympathy- they demand our collective action. We can no longer be passive observers of the devastating toll exacted by mass shootings. It is time to rise above political divides and unite as a force for change. Let our shared humanity and the echoes of countless lives lost be the rallying cry that rings across the nation.
Join the call for comprehensive gun control measures, for the sake of our children and communities. Contact your representatives, engage in open conversations, and demand accountability. Stand shoulder to shoulder with those advocating for a safer future, support organizations fighting for sensible gun reform, and let our collective will be the driving force behind a nation free from the grip of gun violence. The time for change is now, and the power to make it happen lies within everyone.
Media outlets have made us desensitized and comfortably detached. These victims were not just statistics; they were dreams snuffed out. As the U.S. approaches a new record of mass shootings, turning a blind eye is no longer an option.
Quotes from survivors, first responders, and coroners in the article revealed just how horrible these incidents are. These excerpts shift the focus back to the victims of these tragedies, as opposed to the sterile repetitive cycle of reporting numbers and responding with thoughts and prayers.
Here are a few of the most moving excerpts:
“I could hear a little girl say, ‘Officers come in, we’re in here,’ and she sounded far away so I knew it was in the other room. And she said that once. And maybe two or three minutes later she said it again. And then I just heard him walk into that other room. And he shot some more. So after that I didn’t hear her no more. And so I had figured he had killed her.” Arnulfo Reyes, teacher. Robb Elementary School, Uvalde.
“I walked in there, and you’re, like, slipping and sliding, trying not to slip because it was bad. And just the thing I won’t forget is the smell.” Alexander Cuellar, Border Patrol. Robb Elementary School, Uvalde.
“We were standing there looking at the scene and the phones kept ringing and ringing and ringing in the backpacks and on the desk of the parents calling their children. ... They kept calling and calling and calling.” Eulalio Diaz, justice of the peace and coroner. Robb Elementary School, Uvalde.
These accounts are only from one incident. The United States has surpassed 600 mass shootings in 2023 alone. As readers, we should feel the full weight of the countless lives lost. See the first responders carefully approach a mass shooting crime scene. Imagine being a worried parent, calling your child over and over to check on them and getting no response. More Americans experience these feelings every day.
As Americans, we claim to uphold “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” yet life is now synonymous with fear – at school, the grocery store, the movies, and everywhere in between.
Is the so-called “right” to wield assault weapons worth this mass sea of death? If you dare to say yes, then confront the harsh reality seen in the photos from the Washington Post’s article. Stare at the haunting pools of blood beneath a classroom file cabinet. Examine the chilling drag marks etched amidst the blood and remnants of innocent children’s bodies. Cast your eyes upon the gut-wrenching sight of half-filled body bags lined down the hallway. Innocent children were witnesses to these atrocities. Now, it is time for you to bear witness too.
Want to make a difference? Check if your representative in Congress is in the NRA’s pocket.
If you don’t know who your representative is, find out here and demand change.
You can also donate to March for Our Lives.
