Focusing on murder requires a look at morality; Focusing on tools of murder is to do nothing

In a statement issued Friday, after learning of the happenings at the Santa Fe, Texas high school, Senator Ted Cruz said:

“Once again, our Nation grieves another mass murder. Heidi and I are keeping the students and faculty of Santa Fe High School in our fervent prayers. We are so grateful for the first responders who rushed to the scene to protect the safety of the students, and we give thanks for the armed officer who intercepted the gunman and brought the suspect into custody.”

Senator Cruz has it exactly right when he refers to the event as “another mass murder” as opposed the media narrative of “school shooting.” That narrative deflects from the sin of murder, which has been with us since Cain murdered Abel, purposefully to lead people to focus upon the one of many tools used to commit murder.

Reasonable people understand that murder is as against the law as is possible. There are not loopholes here and there in state or federal laws that treat murder lightly. Because of this people innately understand that passing more laws against murder is, in general, an exercise in futility.

However if we ignore that the crimes committed are murder by instead focusing on inanimate objects such as guns used to commit such, we can fool ourselves into thinking that ignoring human responsible agency and passing laws about guns will somehow be “doing something” to reduce murder.

Such thinking is to neglect “doing something” about a culture in which some young people think mass murder to be an adventure akin to climbing a mountain or racing a car.

The Left has long championed policies and philosophies that demean human existence such as the idea that by merely existing humans are damaging the planet; that demean edifying religion as hocus-pocus superstition, and; that demean those who demand moral standards in society as anti-freedom puritans.

No gun, or right to bear such, has ever committed murder. Only humans who have a broken sense of, or no respect for, morality commit murder and they will use any tool so to do. But addressing aspects of that morality is something Leftists not only shy away from, it is something their official philosophies have condemned for decades.