Thoughts in my head today

In the spring of 1999, I was in Denver, CO for a combined regional NATCA meeting. Part of the extra-curricular events was an evening trip to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play baseball on the night we arrived in Denver -- April 20, 1999.

That was the day that 13 students were gunned down by two of their classmates (also killed) at Columbine High School. The entire area was in shock. The Rockies cancelled the entire home stand as the city mourned. Our guest speaker at the next day's meeting was a labor lawyer. His son was at the elementary school a few blocks away which was used as a gathering point for students that had escaped the high school massacre. Twenty-two years ago there were no active shooter drills in schools.

A year or so after that, the dad of the first student killed at Columbine (Rachel Scott) came to speak at our church in Ozark. He was telling the story of the day and sharing the faith of his daughter. Rachel's brother also spoke. He was in the school that day and lost several good friends along with his sister. 
Before the speaking event the dad stopped me downstairs in the church fellowship hall. He asked if I was on staff at the church. I told him that I wasn't but asked how I could help. 
He pointed out a young boy that was sitting in the kitchen -- his son, Rachel's youngest brother. The dad told me that the youngest brother always wants to go with them as they travel to honor his sister, but never wants to hear the story. I was asked if I could stay with him.

As much as I wanted to hear the dad's speech that night, I missed it. There was someone else that needed my attention.

Yesterday -- 22 years after Columbine, and less than an hour away from there -- another shooter walked into a grocery store and killed 10 innocent people. 
Just six days ago, a shooter in Atlanta killed eight people.
It looks like things are getting back to normal in the US.

To all of the gun owner's rights advocates -- What is the answer? How do we end these mass shootings in the US?
I don't want to hear that gun regulations aren't the answer.
I want to hear what is the answer.
I want to hear what your proposed solutions are and how they will work. 

Shootings in schools
Shootings in churches
Shootings in theaters
Shootings at concerts
Shootings at shopping centers
Shootings in work places

Life (and death) the American way.

My heart is heavy, because I know there will another incident and more death
...and still nothing will change, except for the families of the victims.
For them, life will never be the same.

John