We Need a #MeToo Movement to Save Our Children

On the afternoon of Feb. 14th, 2018, when most men are thinking of what card, candy or set of flowers they'll bring to the object of their affection, one man in particular decided this was a good day to bring an AR-15 assault rifle to his school and kill as many children and adults as possible. And due to countless mistakes and cowardice on the part of law enforcement, he succeeded in ending the lives of 17 souls. 

And this is not a crime that rests on the shoulders of only one deranged individual. No. Lawmakers failing to challenge the National Rifle Association's (NRA) goal of making killing machines as accessible as bubble gum and law Enforcement's lack of follow through on signs and statements declaring this monster a clear and present danger to his community made this massacre all but assured. 

To say nothing about the deputies who cowered outside during the melee, failing to do their job to protect the defenseless students, even thought they themselves were armed and most likely would have succeeded in taking out the killer, thereby saving many lives. 

But this problem runs deeper than any one cowardly act or missed signal. As a society, we have a schizophrenic attitude when determining our priorities about guns and children's lives. Those on the Conservative side of the political spectrum have ordained that the rights of unborn children trumps that of women who may attempt to control their future by ending unplanned pregnancies. But those very children can be murdered in their own school and according to that same twisted Conservative logic, that should in no way impede the rights of gun owners to possess the very weapons used in those crimes. Even if it means that more children will surely die.

Who are those aiding and abetting these crimes? Countless politicians who cling frantically to their 2nd Amendment argument, while crying crocodile tears on television each time an institution of learning is turned into a war zone. And gun lobbyists who will stop at nothing to support and represent gun manufacturers, retailers and hunters Will they lose their jobs? Will they go to jail or be publicly shamed on television, in newspapers and across social media? No.

Guns at School vs Sex at Work. Which is a more pressing issue?

At the same time, politicians on both sides of the isle, CEO's and celebrities are being toppled daily. Publicly shamed, and excoriated across all media platforms for failing to curb natural biological urges in the workplace and elsewhere. Indeed, there are extremes that rise to the level of criminal activity, such as those committed by the likes of Harvey Weinstein. But many of these so-called abuses of power or acts of harassment were once accepted as a normal consequence of bringing men and women together under the stressful and socially complex umbrella of the workplace. 

If you doubt or have no knowledge of what I'm saying, you can see the sordid and tempestuous encounters that have always sprung from the collective pressures of work accurately depicted in the artfully crafted series called "Mad Men".

But only recently have many more of these awkward and uninvited advances risen to the level of criminality in the eyes of society. Do these non-life-threatening acts of testosterone driven passion somehow carry a greater potential to shift social consciousness and change laws than the random and senseless killing of children? How is that possible?

Were a science fiction writer to conjure up a story where in a virus altered the collective consciousness of an entire nation and caused them to view unwanted sexual advances as a greater offense than the murder of children, the writer and his or her creation would be panned as garbage or maybe even labeled even nihilistic smut. And yet, this scenario very much resembles the topsy-turvy world we now live in. Sometimes, reality is indeed stranger than fiction.

But this is no joking matter. We had better get our priorities straight in this country. If our children are not safe, then the rights we claim to defend with our guns: To live in a free and open society, will be eroded. We will find ourselves living in a macabre world of our own making. A world in which narrow minded zealots are unwilling to prevent anyone from owning a gun, is a world where criminals and the insane will control our streets and institutions. It has been shown by the recent shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, that having armed officers on school grounds is no guarantee that a mentally disturbed individual with a gun will still have his way. More guns are not the answer!

One day, we may witness a #MeToo movement of men and women who have lost children to gun wielding criminals as successful as that which is now changing attitudes on sexual advances in the workplace. I hope it doesn't come to that. But if the killing of our own children is not enough to get our attention and motivate us to work together to find solutions, I'm not sure what will. 

Startling Statistics

According to ABC News and many other news outlets, as of this writing, there have been 18 school shootings in 2018. Yes, within the 2 month period since the New Year, there have been 18 verified school shootings. Where is the list of heads that have rolled in the halls of government and law enforcement for allowing this trend to continue unabated?

Meanwhile, more than 100 men and one woman have lost their jobs and in many cases had to surrender their entire life's work and careers due to accusations over sexual misconduct, harassment and or even flirting Here is a list.

It is not my intent to downplay the impact on victims of true abuse and harassment in the workplace. There needed to be a correction to check those in power, (more often than not, men), who have increasingly lorded their influence and coercion over those at their mercy, for the purpose of sexual favors. Making the provision of those favors a condition for continued employment. Individually, there wasn't much a victim could do to stop these abuses. Their complaints were ignored and/or they were victimized again through retribution, for attempting to expose the perpetrator's misdeeds.

A tipping point occurred for some reason after the exposure of Harvey Weinstein as a dangerous, serial abuser, who employed a team of "handlers" to ensure his abuses never saw the light of day and to provide a stream of new exploits to feed his nefarious obsession. 

When will there be a similar tipping point to finally do whatever is necessary to bring media, industry and government together to end this barbaric killing of our children? How can we celebrate our advances in science, medicine and technology and thereby consider ourselves an evolved society, if we cannot even protect our children from being killed in their classrooms? 

Here are some proposals to consider:

Make it illegal to sell guns to anyone under age of 25. 

Not just 21. Research has shown that the human brain is still very much a work in progress well into the 3rd decade of life. Especially for boys and men. The prefrontal cortex, which is involved in risk assessment and decision making is still building interconnections and improving its function. To place or allow to be placed into the hands of a person with an under-developed sense of right and wrong a gun, is to court disaster. 

Punish parents or guardians who whether by intent or ignorance make guns accessible to children that go on to commit crimes where those guns are involved. 

Prior to the shooting, Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator in the recent Florida shooting that left 17 souls dead, was taken in by Roxanne Deschamps, following the death of his mother from pneumonia. After violent outbursts that required law enforcement intervention, Cruz moved out of the Deschamps home and was taken in by Kim and James Snead. They were aware that he owned guns and that he was adamant about keeping them. They locked those guns up in a safe, presuming they were the only ones with the key to access them. It turned out that Cruz had a spare key and accessed those guns, resulting in the deaths at the Stoneman-Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.

In spite of many worrying outbursts, Instagram posts and run-ins with law enforcement that should have labeled this disturbed young man as a severe threat to his community, not only was nothing done, but the foster parents, the Snead's, claim they had no idea he had this violent streak. Both of these foster parents have jobs requiring a keen intellect and ability to observe and make critical decisions. The husband is an Intelligence Analyst and the wife is a neonatal nurse. How could they be so clueless about this monster living right under their roof? And should they be held partially responsible for these senseless murders? 

Conclusion

This is indeed a complex problem and no one has all the answers. But we had better start asking some hard questions and be willing to take drastic measures to ensure this and future generations of children do not arrive to adulthood with untreated PTSD from having grown up in a society that was unwilling to provide them a safe environment in which to learn. If you think anger and hatred is fueling much of the violence in our society today, just wait! 

-Shane Eric Mathias