The Children Murdered in Texas Are Our Children Too

<p><strong>Show</strong> <strong>Notes</strong>: Listen to these inspiring stories to help you make sense of the senseless murders of children in Texas and Ukraine</p> <p><strong><u>I encourage you to read the</u></strong> <a href= "https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/06/opinion/how-to-reduce-shootings.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220525&instance_id=62320&nl=the-morning&regi_id=97333134&segment_id=93286&te=1&user_id=000027318bc5efe9e1a8839687efee16"> NY Times article on curbing gun violence by Nicholas Kristoff from 5-24-22</a></p> <p><strong>In a typical year, more preschoolers are shot dead in America (about 75) than police officers are</strong></p> <p>School shootings are a complex problem with no easy solutions, but on the other hand, maybe we’re making it more complicated than need be. Dr. Jordan shares research on how people today are lonelier and more isolated like never before</p> <p>One reason for our isolation is shrinking social contact with people we don’t know. Not so long ago, strangers talked to each other a great deal in public; in buses, at the airport, in line at the bank. Why? Because there was not much else to do. Today, we’re all plastered to our phones.</p> <p>Dr. Jordan shares research on how little moments of interacting with strangers gives us a sense of belonging</p> <p>There’s a famous story about soldiers in the trenches on Christmas eve during WWI in 1914 who shared drinks, holiday carols, played soccer, and got to know each other as fellow human beings vs the enemy. People in the trenches would have stopped the war then, but it was the higher ups who were not in contact with the ‘enemy’ who kept the fighting going. We all need more contact with “the other” in order to break down barriers and stereotypes and create the space for conversation and commonalities.</p> <p>Dr. Jordan also discusses info from Kristoff’s article about a <strong>lack of research on gun violence</strong>, largely because the N.R.A. is extremely hostile to such research and Congress rolls over. When