Today, April 20, is the anniversary of a couple of dark days in history.
Today is Adolf Hitler’s birthday. It is also the day that a couple of students shot and murdered kids in Columbine High School.
Hitler’s life and story speak for itself. As for Columbine, I remember being in the weight room at my high school when the news came over the radio. It would’ve been my freshman year of high school.
I can’t say for sure, but I’m almost certain the idea of a school shooting had never crossed my mind. They had happened before, but not really on that sort of scale in terms of deaths.
And, with 24/7 news growing in popularity, perhaps it garnered more headlines that previous school shootings had. I don’t know.
But I know that day truly changed high school for millions of Americans.
Don’t confuse change with fear. I never remember trembling at the idea of walking into my high school. But I remember later in my high school career when we had to evacuate the school and walk down to the tennis courts due to a bomb threat.
And obviously we’re well aware of the school shootings that have happened since.
Sandy Hook happened the year we sent our oldest kid to kindergarten. Again, as a parent who was just getting used to the idea of dropping off their young child at school each day, this was a jarring change.
But this is where this column will take a bit of a twist.
We continually hear from the political Left that we must do something to stop the school shootings and gun violence in this country. That if we could save just one life, then it would be worth it.
But here is my question for those same people:
If we don’t teach our children to respect and value life at the very beginning, why are we surprised when they fail to respect or value it at any point after that?
Yes, of course, I’m talking about those who would tell people that it’s OK to kill an unborn baby.
That segment of our society does not want young people to believe there is anything wrong with an abortion. It used to be “safe, legal and rare.” Today it is just “safe and legal.” Rare went out the rear window a long time ago.
Nearly every science textbook I’ve ever seen says the same thing — life begins at conception.
So when we convince teenagers that there’s nothing wrong with abortion, whether we realize it or not, we’re convincing them there’s nothing wrong with the intentional taking of human life.
School shootings are heavy tragedies. There is no doubt about it. They are sad and senseless.
And there’s a reason that is.
That reason is victims lose their lives.
Their dreams and their potential are wiped away in seconds.
And that’s also what makes abortion tragic.
