the feminist librarian reads

A Newtown Every Three Days – Race, Class and Gun Violence | Lyla Cicero @ Under Cover in the Suburbs

When I read these statistics, I have to ask myself, what are we really outraged about?  What are we really reacting to when the nation comes together and mourns Newtown?  Because if we were outraged about guns killing kids, we would be this outraged at least twice a week.  I absolutely think our reaction to Newtown is appropriate. We need to take action, we need to talk about mental health and gun control (in addition to male gender norms, an important and all but invisible topic), and a variety of other topics.

But our outpouring after Newtown only serves to highlight and underscore our profound and deafening silence when the victims of gun grime are black and/or poor.  Because the fact is we are not shocked that someone took a gun and shot children.  We’re shocked when someone shoots well-off, white, suburban children.  The hard, painful truth is that we tolerate violence against children and teens everyday.