Gun violence in America: Who are we becoming?

LeBron Hill, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Good morning, Black Tennessee Voices fam!

I hope you are taking care of yourselves considering the recent news cycle.

In light of the Buffalo shooting that left 10 Black people dead, and the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre where 19 students and 2 teachers were killed, I took time to cry.

I cried for the Black men and women who merely went to the grocery store but had their life taken.

I cried for those children who had their lives cut short and the teachers who tried to protect their students from a monster.

In a Tuesday Twitter post, poet Amanda Gorman says it best:

“It takes a monster to kill children. But to watch monsters kill children again and again and do nothing isn’t just insanity — it’s inhumanity.”

The Uvalde massacre was at least the 30th shooting at a K-12 school in 2022.

Yet, those shootings take place, and we have no rebuttal to these horrific acts but thoughts and prayers.

No matter the spirituality some people use to sweep these atrocities under the rug, our humanity is slowly being taken away with each moment we choose not do something.

As far as I’m concerned, gun regulation is a nonpartisan issue. Mass shooters are committing acts of despicable violence while we debate the right to own a gun and overlook the right to life, which we all deserve.

I am not a father, but I’ve recently become an uncle. The smile on my nephew Ezekiel’s face is worth fighting for.

We regain our humanity when there is a brighter tomorrow, and we must ensure that tomorrow is attainable for everyone.

10 people were killed and three others injured in a shooting at a Buffalo, NY grocery store on May 14, 2022. The 18-year-old from Conklin, NY allegedly shot people inside and outside of the Tops Friendly Market and was motivated by hate, authorities said. 11 of the 13 people shot were Black. Takesha Leonard is held by her husband, Shawn, as she cries. The two Buffalo residents came out and know people in the neighborhood and were there as support of their Buffalo community. "When one part hurts, we all hurt. We're here in solidarity for our community," she said.

Check out what else Tennessee Black voices have been discussing this week:

I hope you all take this weekend to spend time off social media to be with your family and friends. Laugh with them. Have a healthy debate with them. Love them.

Be the light in your communities.

Until next time.

LeBron Hill is an opinion columnist for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and the curator of the Black Tennessee Voices newsletter. Feel free to contact him at LHill@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @hill_bron or Instagram at @antioniohill12.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gun violence in America: Who are we becoming?