Reflections on how to push to end gun violence

It is time Americans took a long look in the mirror, not at their waistlines but deep into their eyes, reflecting what lies within. We need to set aside (at least for a while) the everyday concerns we all face -- inflation, COVID, the weather -- and focus on the existential threats, none more urgent than the epidemic of gun violence, especially mass shootings in schools that have taken the lives of far too many children.

You don't have to be a parent to be mortified by the senseless slaughter of these young lives. As a 70-year-old man who never had children of his own, I am nonetheless horrified by these tragedies and can't begin to imagine what parents (and grandparents) feel. Whether they lost a child or grandchild to gun violence or have one currently in school, I can't begin to comprehend the pain and anxiety they must endure every day; the indescribable pain of a father losing his 10-year-old son, knowing he'll never see him play baseball in high school, go to college, and become a dad; or the mother packing a lunch for her fourth-grade daughter, sending her off to school, praying she'll return home that afternoon, hoping she'll live to dance at her senior prom, graduate from MIT, and fulfill her dream of becoming a physicist.

So what can we do about it? Some who have the will, the passion and the time to actively fight gun violence can participate in protest marches, school board meetings, or join groups that coordinate efforts to combat this scourge. In Iowa for example, there's the Dubuque Coalition for Non-Violence and Iowans for Responsible Gun Laws. For those who want to help but don't have time to participate regularly, there are other effective ways to contribute which don't require much time or effort.

If you truly care about children, their future (our future) and you can spare five to 10 minutes, call or email your senators' offices, telling them in no uncertain terms they must pass more stringent gun legislation protecting children in school by enacting universal background checks, raising the eligible age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21, and eventually a law banning civilian purchase of assault weapons altogether. And ideally, (just like driving a car) make it mandatory to get a license before buying a gun.

I fervently hope everyone who reads this will look in the mirror and see a reflection of desire and determination to help any way they can, and in that reflection will be the satisfaction of doing the right thing.

Denis Montenier of Hudson is retired and an active member of the Dubuque Coalition for Non-Violence.