Jewish people all around the world are in the midst of the High Holy Days, beginning with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) and ending with Yom Kippur (the day of atonement). On Yom Kippur we read in our siddur (prayer book) that on Rosh Hashanah it is written and Yom Kippur it is sealed what shall transpire in the book of life – what is meant to happen in the following year, including ‘who shall live and who shall die’. It is a serious and dire message with one significant caveat – that repentance, prayer and charity temper judgement’s severe decree.

I cannot help but think about these words at this time of year. That there is a plan for all of us, but we play a role in how that plan plays itself out. We are active participants in the fate of our own lives and the lives of others. It is not simply thoughts and prayers that make a difference – our own actions are key.

And so I reflect on the lives of people lost to gun violence in the US in the past year. When a child dies, it is certainly not a function of their prayer or repentance. A child who has not come of age is still being formed as a human being, relying on adults to create an environment for them to be fully formed. It is with this backdrop that we must all remember the 300+ lost souls in the past year, lost to gun violence – children who were not given the opportunity to bring their light and talents to bear on our society. That over 40 of these children were killed at schools, places that once were deemed safe havens (like churches and synagogues) but are now no different than any other public space, is particularly chilling.

And it is for all Americans, Jewish or otherwise, to repent. Repent that we have allowed this plague of gun violence to not only ravage generations of our populace but that we continue to permit it to fester and grow. We have one of the highest child and teen gun mortality rates in the world, and certainly the highest rate of any high income country. Our gun mortality rates rival countries who are experiencing active conflict (ie Syria, Burkina Faso).

And our governments continue to make guns more accessible, not less. The Trump Administration has gutted the ATF, making it easier for illegal guns to be sold on our streets. They have proposed allowing domestic abusers to have their gun rights restored. They have rescinded funding for gun violence prevention programs and local police departments. And they have effectively removed regulations that prohibit semi-automatic guns from becoming machine guns.

The Congress is silent – apparently in prayer, and thinking of the families who have lost a loved one. After mass shootings, they tell us that it is ‘too soon’ after the tragedies to discuss solutions. But as long as the violence continues, one disaster after another, it is always ‘too soon’. For the victims, it is too late. Meanwhile, there were 8 mass shootings in the US in the past week, with 28 people injured and 9 killed (including 7 juveniles injured and 1 killed). And the American people shrug their shoulders and move on.

And the national disgrace continues…