School Shootings

The faces of those killed at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School

I do not have an answer.

Friends, and pundits argue about gun control.

A recent video is going viral from a student at Douglas High School in which every other word is the "F" word. I can appreciate that anger is part of the grieving process, and those students have every right to be angry; hurt and angry.

I went to school at a time when no one would think of bring a gun on school premises. If you had a beef with someone, you went behind the stadium bleachers and duked it out.

Christians lament the fact that we have taken prayer, and God out of school. They have a point. But in this era, God is no longer allowed or spoken of in most homes.

What I want to know, how is it that kids get access to expensive and high powered weapons? An AK-15 costs on average $650 to $1200. I have no idea how much the ammunition costs.

By law, in some states a person can buy a gun when they are 18 years old, but they cannot buy beer or liquor.

Are parents so caught up in their own lives that they are not paying attention to what their children are doing? We have gotten to the point that for most families, it takes two incomes to maintain a decent standard of living. This means little or no adult supervision.

Many children grow up in a one parent home, due to divorce, or parents that never marry. A lot of times there is strife about money, or friction between the adults that should be responsible for a child's well-being.  There is so much prurient violence in television shows, movies, and video games that leads to desensitization. Death has become meaningless.

Look at our inner cities. We come to expect that at least one gang-banger is getting killed on a nightly basis. This usually has to do with drugs. We don't see the fact that this was someone's child.

A White supremacy claims that the Douglas High School shooter was a member. Are the police going to look into these morons to corroborate that claim?

But the fact remains that 17 precious lives were snuffed out.

It is easy to point the finger at Congress, or the President of the United States, and the FBI, but what about clues this boy left behind. He was expelled for disruptive behavior, and the police were at his home 36 times.

I don't have an answer.

In 2005 I went to a concert to see Buddy and Julie Miller perform. Both are singers and songwriters. Buddy is a Nashville legend and a record producer.

Julie is a very sweet soul, and stopped the show to talk about a song she had written called Rachel.

Rachel Scott

Rachel Scott was the first one of the 13 children killed at Columbine High School in 1999. This precious child was gunned down and murdered after the two shooters asked her if she believed in God.

Julie read a book that Rachel's parents had written and was inspired to write about this sweet young lady, then wrote this song.

It is heartbreaking that. 19 years later the words of this song still ring true.

Seventeen years, how could we know? 

And thirteen years to make a flower grow 

Tears that fell from your eyes 

Were the ones heaven cries 

For the children left to walk alone 

There is a life no one can take 

There is a chain of love no one can break 

In all the world there is No life greater than this 

To lay down your life for your friends 

And did you feel the longing? 

And did you hear a sacred song? 

And did you sing it out to the dark? 

And did you follow the footsteps? 

Did you shine a light and did 

You dance with all of your heart? 

And did you feel the longing? 

And did you hear a sacred song? 

And did you sing it out to the dark? 

And did you follow the footsteps? 

Did you shine a light and did 

You dance with all of your heart? 

Shine like a star beloved child 

Upon you the angels all have smiled 

God takes you by the hand 

Dance for joy little lamb 

In the arms of God forever more 

Dance in the arms of God forever more.