Bishops of the Diocese of North Carolina Respond to Recent Shooting in Michigan
We mourn with the nation about news of another school
shooting, this time in Michigan. While details are yet unknown, at least
three have been killed and more injured. An investigation may offer
motive and context for the event, but no explanation will change the fact that,
once again, a teenager had access to a semiautomatic weapon and, for whatever
reasons, thought it could solve a problem.
We weep with the families of those who died and
those injured as our prayers go up for them, the school community, the people
of Oxford, Michigan, and for the accused perpetrator and his family. Words of comfort by themselves are never enough, but we believe prayer is the
first and best response when tragedy renders us otherwise powerless.
The second response, though, is to our legislators
and those who do have the power to write and pass gun safety legislation and
enforce existing gun safety policy. To you we say, “Enough. Once
again, enough.” Whatever eventual explanations are offered for this
tragedy, the greater issue is that interpersonal conflict, anger, bullying,
fragile states of mental health - none of these have to resort to gun violence
as a solution. Talking things out is hard. Forgiving is hard. Confusion and doubt about one’s self worth is hard. But the ready accessibility
of weapons too easily used for killing quickly turns a hard situation into a
tragedy.
In this holy season of Advent, we prepare for
Christ to come again, and we prepare ourselves to receive him. It is a
time of repentance, renewal and hope. We implore those who can make a difference
in our nation’s gun laws to start anew today.
