Opinion |

No simple answers in effort to stop mass shootings

It’s impossible to make sense of the May 24 tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 schoolchildren and two teachers lost their lives. As the horrifying details continue to unfold, we are retreating to our respective corners, convinced we will find answers there.

For Democrats, guns are to blame.

And so, a small group of Democratic senators has begun anew efforts to limit gun access, joined by a small group of Republican senators. They are considering modest steps like “red flag” laws (which take firearms away from potentially dangerous people) and expanded criminal background checks for firearm sales and transfers.

Doubtful states like California aren’t waiting for action. In the case of gun reform, they know that history repeats itself. Congress failed to impose any gun restrictions after the school massacres in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 and in Parkland, Fla., in 2018. Nor have the other mass murders — between and since — resulted in change at the federal level.

For Republicans, mental health is the culprit.

“We as a state, we as a society need to do a better job with mental health,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said after the Uvalde shooting. “Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge. Period. We as a government need to find a way to target that mental health challenge and to do something about it.” The governor committed to doubling mental health resources in the community.

The linkage is easy enough to understand. And it’s comforting, in a way: People can say that the shooter wasn’t in their right mind. It was mental illness that made them violent.

In their Washington Post column “The Early 202,” writers Leigh Ann Caldwell and Theodoric Meyer said the linkage doesn’t square among mental health advocates. They see it as an excuse that stigmatizes people with mental illness, who are themselves more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it.

As both sides dig in, a fundamental truth emerges: There is no single answer that will ensure we never again experience a Uvalde. Or another mass murder. Gun violence is a complex issue that’s hard to solve. We must start by leaving our corners.

That includes considering the circumstances that may have led Salvador Ramos to commit his horrific crime. According to the Independent, Ramos, who was 18 years old, was bullied in school for his stutter and lisp. He had a difficult home life, frequently fighting with his mother before moving in with his grandmother just a few months ago. Ramos began his rampage by shooting her.

Friends and relatives have said that Ramos had lashed out violently in recent years: firing a BB gun at random people, egging cars and torturing animals, bragging of the abuse on social media. He hurt himself, too, by cutting his own face.

Ramos had also threatened women with rape and murder.

As soon as he turned 18 — just before the attack — Ramos legally bought two AR-15 rifles and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Abbott said that “there was no meaningful forewarning of his crime” outside of the messages that immediately preceded the attack. But all the markers were there.

At the National Conflict Resolution Center, we’ve been working with youth for nearly 15 years. Our program with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office — the first of its kind in the nation — diverts youth ages 12-18 who commit non-serious felony crimes away from the juvenile justice system. Instead, they receive evidence- and community-based services that are individualized and culturally competent.

We conduct an assessment to understand the root causes of their harmful behavior. As it turns out, the No. 1 factor is feelings of isolation and detachment — by a wide margin.

And across the county, we are working with schools to build restorative cultures that prevent and address harm, before problems escalate. In a restorative school, every student is connected to a caring adult. There is a sense of community and a willingness to look out for one another — to be their “brother’s keeper.”

In a restorative school, there is also a feeling of safety. When a student has that feeling, they are more willing to speak up when they see or hear something that’s concerning.

Just like the debate over guns or mental health, I can’t be certain any of this would have made a difference for Salvador Ramos. But I’m reminded of this African proverb: “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”

And I think, if only Salvador Ramos had been embraced.

Dinkin is president of the National Conflict Resolution Center, a San Diego-based group working to create solutions to challenging issues, including intolerance and incivility. To learn about NCRC’s programming, visit ncrconline.com