What is the definition of insanity?

After a school shooting there is a circle of events which happen every time. There is a media frenzy. Thought and prayers come next. Gun debates follow the prayers. Then, and this is the important part, no one does anything. And everything goes back to “normal.” At least for those of us not directly involved.

The hopeful part of me always thinks, “maybe this time something will change,” but the cynical part of me knows nothing will.

Then the whole thing will start all over when the next group of our babies are killed en masse.

But I’m not trying to only be cynical here.

Here’s a suggestion: For the first time in a long time we are not in a war with another country. How about we bring all of those soldiers to their homes and have them guard the schools? Our hugely over-inflated military budget could certainly pay for their salaries. Plus, they are trained to handle this type of dangerous situation.

There are 1,417,370 active duty service members and another 857,261 in the reserves and guard.

There are 130,930 public and private K-12 schools in the US according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Certainly enough to have several at every school in the nation. Nearly 11 to be exact if my math is correct.

Plus, the service members would be able to go home to their families every night. A win-win in my book.

But this is just a good idea that no one will listen to, I’m sure.

There is also a Rockdale connection to this tragedy. I have permission to tell this story but not to use the person’s name. We’ll call her Jane.

Jane was opening a hotel in Austin and there was a woman who worked there in housekeeping. That woman was the mother of one of the teachers who was killed.

Jane and the mother became close over the years and Jane helped put the woman’s daughter through college.

At the beginning of every school year, the teacher who was killed would take a photo of her new class and share the photo with Jane. A way of saying thanks for helping put her through college.

She is the teacher whose husband died of a heart attack later leaving behind four children just when they needed him most.

More close to home for me is one of the people who works for the Uvalde Leader News lost his child in the massacre. We compete against that newspaper in press contests.

And how did killing school kids even become a “thing?” I almost feel guilty for having such a normal childhood at school. Unworried is how school kids should be. Not conducting drills for active shooter situations.

Some of those children covered themselves in their friend’s blood and pretended they were dead. There is no amount of counseling that will remove those nightmares and fears.

One little girl who survived said all of her friends were dead.

The definition of insanity is doing something the same way every time expecting a different result.

It’s time to make some changes in the United States. kyle@rockdalereporter.com