The shootings in Uvalde show an America that doesn’t seem to function. But that can change.

Uvalde. A place a lot of us didn’t even know existed a week ago is now a symbol of a nation that is broken.

We are just dealing with the aftermath of the shooting in Buffalo and the day after that, the shooting in Laguna Woods. Now, Uvalde. This one shooting hit us to the core and we know why. Like Sandy Hook a decade ago, this one involved children. Nine and ten-year-olds. News reports showed pictures of some of the young victims, mere hours before they would lose their lives. These were kids that were only a few days away summer vacation.

We never talk much about the survivors in the aftermath of these events. How will they deal with what they witnessed in the months and years to come?

Uvalde shows that America is broke, but it’s not for the reasons you think. Most people will say we are broken because we are the only nation in the world that has regular mass shootings and such seemingly lax gun laws. But that’s not the reason. It’s not the reason because even though we lead the world in mass shootings, even though this is a problem that reflects badly on our nation, this is a challenge and Americans tend to meet challenges and overcome them.

Except I don’t think that’s the case anymore.

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