Gun laws won't suddenly change if we see images of dead children
After the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, many have been saying that the public needs to see the mutilated bodies of children to understand America's gun crisis.
I understand the notion of good intentions, but that doesn’t negate whether or not an idea is grotesque.
Much as I understand and relate to the anger and anguish over last week’s shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, for a number of reasons, I don’t believe we have to look at the mutilated bodies of children to understand that America has a gun crisis that only meaningful gun safety legislation can correct. Yet, that has been the suggestion of some journalists and government officials in recent days in light of the most recent rounds of mass shootings. The theory behind this idea is rooted in the belief that if people and lawmakers could only see what a gun like an AR-15 does to the human body, there could finally be a real shift in how the country tackles gun rights.
It isn’t right for those of power and influence to call on the victims of families of gun violence to give us anything — much less images of their dead loved ones.
Among those calling for this is Temple University’s journalism school dean, David Boardman, who recently made the suggestion via Twitter: “Couldn’t have imagined saying this years ago, but it’s time — with the permission of a surviving parent — to show what a slaughtered 7-year-old looks like. Maybe only then will we find the courage for more than thoughts and prayers.”
Others include John Woodrow Cox, a Washington Post reporter and the author of “Children Under Fire,” who, in an interview with CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, argued that many people don’t understand how bullets from high-powered rifles destroy children’s bodies. He said that lawmakers who oppose measures like banning assault weapons should see those images.
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