HOW ARE THE CHILDREN
How are the children?
This question is the traditional greeting of the Masai tribe in Africa. The traditional response would be that the children are all well—this would mean that the land was at peace and safe.
How are the children? Sadly, Not well. Not well at all.
The National Survey on Children’s Health documents over half of the nation’s children—estimated 35 million-- have experienced one or more type of serious childhood trauma. Two-thirds of children report experiencing a trauma event by the age 16. Up to 85% of our children have witnessed some sort of community violence, up to 43% have had exposure to some type of sexual abuse, over 15 million children live in poverty.
How are the children?
There was the day when children went to school expecting to skip rope, play dodge ball—now they are walking through metal detectors and learning how to dodge bullets.
How are the children? Not well. Not well at all.
In 2011 Missouri ranked 12th in the nation for death by gun violence. In 2017 Missouri ranks 5th. How are the children?
How can the children expect to be well when the adults consistently fail to create a land that is peaceful and safe? How can the children expect to be well when we place profits over peace? How can the children expect to be well when they are held responsible for their own safety?
Why, why are we okay with teaching children how to be safe in a mass shooting yet not okay with regulating to weapons of mass murder? How are we okay arming teachers and not okay disarming adults? Why are we okay with protecting our right to bear arms over the children’s right to a safe and healthy environment?
Why is it okay for the children to not be well?
Children gunned down in school brings us to vigils and tears and fears—rightly so. Every single day children who live in poverty are in danger. Missouri’s rate of gun homicides, particularly in urban setting and communities of color is among the highest in the nation.
Children in Missouri die from gun violence at rates that are among the highest in the nation.
The children are not well. But they can be.Our children can live in peace and safety. Our children can live without fear their mothers and fathers being gunned down. Our children can live without fear that someone will walk in and take them all out. We can insist on raising the standard for those who bear arms—with rights come responsibilities.
We can insist on responsible gun ownership. We can insist on gun safety locks. We can insist on background checks. We can insist on closing the gun show loop hole.
We can insist that our children be made well.
In 1921 Langston Hughes penned this hope…
I Dream A World
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world
Here we are in 2019 yet dreaming of a world where love will bless the earth and peace its paths adorn. Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. We must do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Together we can make this dream come true. How are the children?