By Linda Grupp Boutin
I heard an anguished father's voice. Deep in the throes of grief over his son's death last Friday night at UCSB, my heart broke as he spoke. All his inhibitions were turned off. He spoke his mind with force and truth. He demands a solution to the problem our society faces. On why we as a culture accept more and more shooting sprees. On why students just days away from graduation must fear for their lives and dive for cover as the shooting starts. On why the NRA and our politicians keep allowing those obviously unable to cope with daily life encouragement to buy and keep automatic weapons that they can then use to wreak havoc on whomever they choose.
So once again we must ask ourselves why a troubled young man legally owned 3 automatic handguns. Once again we must ask why did he have more than enough ammunition in clips of 10 shots each to have taken out over 400 people. About why he was allowed to put one of his roommates in jail for stealing $22 worth of candles, but when his family reached out to law enforcement to check if he was okay, almost nothing was done. It is carefully explained that he was polite to the police when they checked on him. That he did not qualify as a 5150. That he was legally competent to buy the weaponry and clips and ammunition that he took with him in his shiny, black BMW. REALLY?
How many grieving families do we witness before we arise in protest? How close does it need to come to your neighborhood before we decide ammunition clips of 10 to 50 rounds are meant for soldiers defending our shores, not for the average person walking on the street? Do you allow it just because the NRA says it must be so?
I can tell you that it has come way too close to me for comfort. I am plagued by memories of a gunman opening fire in a McDonald's less than 2 blocks from my home. I am exhausted wondering which of my nieces of nephews is at which college around the country when a young man reaches his breaking point. My niece just graduated from UCSB last spring. Thank goodness he didn't decide to open fire a year earlier when she walked those very streets. Yet just because she is safe, still there are 6 other young people dead today along with the gunman himself. One of those who died was 22 years old and from the very city where I live! And why in the world do we tolerate our elementary schools becoming the killing grounds for disenchanted and sick young mens' discontent?
These are not the values that have made America great over the centuries. And so many of these shootings wind up with the troubled person shooting themselves! Why do we allow this to continue? When we as Americans make up our minds to do something about a problem, we are strong standing together. The majority of Americans no longer even own guns. Most of us feel that gun laws must be strengthened, but what have you actually done to help with this problem? Have you picked up a phone and called your representative? Have you sent an e-mail to your senator? Have you signed a petition calling for stronger background checks before guns can be purchased?
Listening to that anguished father admit that he did nothing when he heard of Sandyhook illustrates the problem. Now he is speaking out, do each of us need to lose a loved one to a gun before standing up? Let's get proactive and realize we too are just one gun away from his pain. Can you hear his voice and empathize?
Showing posts with label shooting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shooting. Show all posts
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Celebrating an Unexpected Heroine
By Linda Grupp Boutin
In the midst of drums of war pounding in Syria, celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and the fuss over one 20-year-old dancing at the MTV Music Awards, did you miss the story of Antoinette Tuff last week? If so, you missed hearing about an unexpected heroine demonstrating how to save lives while solving a small part of the problem of misuse of guns in America.
She started her week following her normal routine. And despite personal problems in her life, she showed up to work as a school bookkeeper at an elementary school in Georgia. Little did she anticipate what the work week would bring. Because by Friday, she found herself sitting across from Anderson Cooper on CNN being interviewed and introduced to the 911 operator who helped keep her calm while she faced the unexpected challenge of a mentally unstable man with an AK-47 and almost 500 rounds of ammunition standing in the school office.
Usually Antoinette would have been in her busy at her desk on a Tuesday morning, but had been diverted to take a phone call before settling down to her usual work at the school. She shared with Anderson Cooper that she had received bad news, but not the exact nature of the problem she had learned about on the call. The next thing she knew she was calling 911 while talking to Michael Hill holding the gun and telling her he didn't care if he lived or not.
What would you do if faced with such a situation at work? Turns out Antoinette had training in handling crisis situations. After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook last December combined with shootings at schools for far too many years, administrators have realized their employees needed some preparations. But it turns out, according to what she shared in her interview, that she also had learned some critical skills on Sundays and Wednesdays from her pastor at church.
Through her fears and despite her own problems, Antoinette saw the hurting human inside the gunman. She spoke to him respectfully calling him "Sir" and finding their common cord of humanity. She relayed his instructions and requests to the 911 operator who sent the messages to the police surrounding the school. After some more talking, Michael placed his weapon down, set the bullets aside, took a drink of water, and laid on the floor to surrender to the police.
Although he had shot some rounds off, not one person died or was wounded on the scary morning at the school. Antoinette's coworkers warned the teachers to lock the doors and protect the children, but the gunman never got near the classrooms. A calm and understanding woman talked Michael Hill into turning himself in and every parent of each child and the loved ones of the workers at the school were able to hug their family members thanks to a very special woman named Antoinette Tuff.
As the police prepared to come in and arrest the gunman, she took the time to tell him that she was proud of him for not hurting anyone. She also told him that she loved him and that we all have problems in life and that he could get through his problems too. She encouraged him and acknowledged his pain and found the words to disarm the armed man thereby saving countless lives.
Goodness won out last Thursday morning at a school in Georgia. And though this week's news challenges us to see the goodness in life, let's celebrate together an unexpected heroine who provides for us the role model for a Christian putting their faith into action and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
In the midst of drums of war pounding in Syria, celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and the fuss over one 20-year-old dancing at the MTV Music Awards, did you miss the story of Antoinette Tuff last week? If so, you missed hearing about an unexpected heroine demonstrating how to save lives while solving a small part of the problem of misuse of guns in America.
She started her week following her normal routine. And despite personal problems in her life, she showed up to work as a school bookkeeper at an elementary school in Georgia. Little did she anticipate what the work week would bring. Because by Friday, she found herself sitting across from Anderson Cooper on CNN being interviewed and introduced to the 911 operator who helped keep her calm while she faced the unexpected challenge of a mentally unstable man with an AK-47 and almost 500 rounds of ammunition standing in the school office.
Usually Antoinette would have been in her busy at her desk on a Tuesday morning, but had been diverted to take a phone call before settling down to her usual work at the school. She shared with Anderson Cooper that she had received bad news, but not the exact nature of the problem she had learned about on the call. The next thing she knew she was calling 911 while talking to Michael Hill holding the gun and telling her he didn't care if he lived or not.
What would you do if faced with such a situation at work? Turns out Antoinette had training in handling crisis situations. After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook last December combined with shootings at schools for far too many years, administrators have realized their employees needed some preparations. But it turns out, according to what she shared in her interview, that she also had learned some critical skills on Sundays and Wednesdays from her pastor at church.
Through her fears and despite her own problems, Antoinette saw the hurting human inside the gunman. She spoke to him respectfully calling him "Sir" and finding their common cord of humanity. She relayed his instructions and requests to the 911 operator who sent the messages to the police surrounding the school. After some more talking, Michael placed his weapon down, set the bullets aside, took a drink of water, and laid on the floor to surrender to the police.
Although he had shot some rounds off, not one person died or was wounded on the scary morning at the school. Antoinette's coworkers warned the teachers to lock the doors and protect the children, but the gunman never got near the classrooms. A calm and understanding woman talked Michael Hill into turning himself in and every parent of each child and the loved ones of the workers at the school were able to hug their family members thanks to a very special woman named Antoinette Tuff.
As the police prepared to come in and arrest the gunman, she took the time to tell him that she was proud of him for not hurting anyone. She also told him that she loved him and that we all have problems in life and that he could get through his problems too. She encouraged him and acknowledged his pain and found the words to disarm the armed man thereby saving countless lives.
Goodness won out last Thursday morning at a school in Georgia. And though this week's news challenges us to see the goodness in life, let's celebrate together an unexpected heroine who provides for us the role model for a Christian putting their faith into action and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
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