essay on if i were a dog

Words for the Year

"drink from the well of your self and begin again" ~charles bukowski

“If I Were a Dog” by Richard Shelton

I would trot down this road sniffing on one side and then the other peeing a little here and there wherever I felt the urge having a good time what the hell saving some because it’s a long road

but since I’m not a dog I walk straight down the road trying to get home before dark

if I were a dog and I had a master who beat me I would run away and go hungry and sniff around until I found a master who loved me I could tell by his smell and I would lick his face so he knew

or maybe it would be a woman I would protect her we could go everywhere together even down this dark road and I wouldn’t run from side to side sniffing I would always be protecting her and I would stop to pee only once in awhile

sometimes in the afternoon we could go to the park and she would throw a stick I would bring it back to her

each time I put the stick at her feet I would say this is my heart and she would say I will make it fly but you must bring it back to me I would always bring it back to her and to no other if I were a dog

“If I Were a Dog” by Richard Shelton, from The Last Person to Hear Your Voice . © University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007.

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4 thoughts on “ “if i were a dog” by richard shelton ”.

I love you my friend….

Ditto…

Me, too! Also, GOD! How I love this poem. I’ve read it before, but I can’t remember where. I will have to get the book.

p.s. Still dizzy, but I miss you!

I shared that poem back in August on the RoS weekend words–after seeing it on the Writers Almanac–so it was probably one of those two places, Mary.

I miss you too. Feel better soon, vertigo … well I can’t even imagine. Unless it’s like a hangover, god, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. xo

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If I Were a Dog

By joanna cotler, category: children's picture books.

Apr 27, 2021 | ISBN 9780593116128 | 3-7 years | ISBN 9780593116128 --> Buy

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Apr 27, 2021 | ISBN 9780593116128 | 3-7 years

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About If I Were a Dog

“With its airy illustrations and reassuring message, this is a book to gladden 3- to 7-year-olds.”– The Wall Street Journal   A beautiful picture book that illustrates the relationship between a young girl and her canine best friend, written and illustrated by publishing legend Joanna Cotler . If I were a dog . . . I’d be silly or patient, or happy or shy. Sometimes I’d be grumpy. Sometimes I’d be playful. Just like me. In a celebration of both what it means to be a dog and what it means to be human, If I Were a Dog shows us how much we all have in common–with each other, and with our animal friends.   Praise for If I Were a Dog : “A sweet treat for dog lovers.” — Kirkus Reviews “An intuitive, joyful book that gives children agency to imagine their own doggy selves, but also creates a foundation for discussions on differences and similarities.” — School Library Journal

Also by Joanna Cotler

About Joanna Cotler

Joanna Cotler is a writer, an artist and a children’s book editor. She lives in New York City with her husband. She loves dogs almost as much as she loves him.

Product Details

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“This brief, sweet, quiet book resounds with reassurance, and readers/listeners will snuggle to hear it, just as cuddling pooches do, in laps, at bedtime, or in small group-reading sessions . . . A sweet treat for dog lovers. ” — Kirkus Reviews “An intuitive, joyful book that gives children agency to imagine their own doggy selves, but also creates a foundation for discussions on differences and similarities.” — School Library Journal

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Essay on My Pet Dog for Students and Children

500+ Words Essay on My Pet Dog

Pets are a great blessing in anyone’s life. They are the only ones who love us unconditionally. Pets always offer us everything they have without asking for anything in return. The main aim of any pet’s life is to make their owner happy. Nowadays, even the term ‘owner’ is changing. People prefer their pets as kids and to themselves as parents. This is how the relationship between pets is evolving. People treat them no less than humans. For instance, they celebrate their birthdays; get those matching outfits and more.

In my opinion, I feel the pets rightly deserve it. The most common pet you can find at anyone’s place is dogs. A man’s best friend and the most faithful animal, a dog. I also have a pet dog that I love to bits. We got him when he was a little baby and have watched him grow into a beautiful dog. All my family members love him with all their heart. We love his silly antics and cannot imagine our lives without him. We named him Sasha.

Sasha – My Pet Dog

My father adopted Sasha when he was a little baby. His friend had given birth to puppies and they decided to put the puppies up for adoption. We convinced our father to get one for us. Considering they knew our family well, they immediately agreed. Little did we know that our lives would change forever after his entrance.

Sasha came in like a blessing for our family. He belongs to the breed of Labrador. Sasha was black in colour, pure coal black. He came in as a puppy with his cute little paws and eyes. We couldn’t stop gushing over this beauty. My siblings used to fight with each other as to who will get the maximum time to play with Sasha.

Read 500 Words Essay on Dog here

As and when Sasha grew up, he learned various tricks. We trained him to follow our instructions and he even learned a few tricks. We loved showing him off to our colony friends and relatives. I always took Sasha out with me as he loved taking a walk on the road.

Furthermore, my siblings and I took on the responsibility of keeping Sasha clean. Every week, we took turns to bathe him and brush him nicely. I remember I even got a bow for him from my pocket money. Sasha loved it and wagged his tail in excitement. Sasha has been with us through thick and thin and we will forever be indebted to him for his loyalty.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

A Changed Life

Before having a pet dog, we didn’t know what all we would experience. After Sasha came into our lives, he changed it forever. Sasha changed the meaning of loyalty for us. We learned how this faithful animal always worked for our happiness and safety.

Certainly, Sasha made us better human beings. We are now more compassionate towards animals. There was one instance where the stray dogs were going to harm a kitten, and to our surprise, Sasha saved that little kitten and got her home.

In other words, we have learned a lot of things from Sasha. He protected us when we slept at night. He tried to cheer us up whenever anyone of us was sad. Sasha’s obedience inspired me a lot to be kind to my parents. Therefore, all the credit for changing our lives goes to Sasha.

Q.1 What are some common pet animals?

A.1 Some of the most common pet animals are dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters, rabbits, turtles and more.

Q.2 Why should one own a pet dog?

A.2 We can learn a great deal from our pet dogs. They teach us loyalty, compassion, courage, and obedience.

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If I Were a Dog

Joanna cotler.

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 27, 2021

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If I Were An Animal Essay Example

Throughout the world, there are millions of different species. Whether it be the fish that swim in the sea or the monkeys that live in the jungle, the list never seems to end. Living my life as a human and seeing animals’ lives from a different perspective, it is safe to say that if I could be any animal I wanted, I would be a dolphin. Dolphins are best known for their intelligence and  playful nature. One of the things I most enjoy is to socialize and play around, two very prominent traits in dolphins. Aside from the similar traits I see between dolphins and myself, they also live in the ocean, one of my most treasured places. Everyday dolphins spend their lives swimming in the ocean with millions of other animals and enjoying their life in the sun. The beach is my absolute favorite vacation spot, so being able to live there would be a dream. Another distinguishing quality I find between dolphins and myself is the concept of group work. Dolphins are most commonly known to travel in packs. I thoroughly enjoy working with others rather than working alone, which is another reason I see similarities between dolphins and myself. 

Interpretations are something that often come into play when considering how you view others. Often, people will contrast interpretations of different things and people, and they are rarely ever the same. If I were to be transformed into an animal, not by choice, I believe I would be transformed into a bumblebee. The idea of becoming a bumblebee is never something I considered until I put into account some of the traits they possess. For starters, I see myself as a very sociable, high-energy person, but to others, it can sometimes be taken as overly social and too much energy. I believe that this relates to the bumblebee because they are known to fly around and constantly bother people. The never-ending sound of buzzing from ear to ear and constant swatting is what most people picture when thinking of a bee. The sounds of buzzing the bee makes can be connected to my sociable side. The idea of bothering people can be connected to how bumblebees fly around people but are known for not stinging, meaning I sometimes talk too much, but never with bad intentions. I believe that I am seen as a bumblebee by my friends because I am most sociable when with them. To others, I could be seen as a more shy, reserved animal. 

The animal I would choose to be, a dolphin, and the animal I believe others see me as, a bumblebee, are two very different species. One lives in the ocean, and one lives in a hive, one is big, and one is small, but when comparing their traits I see many similarities. One of the most prominent traits the two species share is that they are extremely sociable and high energy. These are two traits that I believe are strongly displayed on a daily basis. Another common trait the two share is that they are both known to work and travel in groups. Dolphins travel as a pack, and Bees work and pollinate together. The idea of working in a group is something I prefer overworking individually. In some ways, I believe you have control over how others perceive you, but there is always a part that is just out of your control. Ultimately, I do not have a problem with being seen as a bumblebee, because I believe that is a good representation of who I am, and by knowing my flaws I can work to improve myself.

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If I Were A Dog

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More than 100 dogs rescued, eight arrested in suspected dogfighting operation, authorities say

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — More than 100 dogs were rescued and eight people were arrested in an investigation of a suspected dogfighting operation in southern New Jersey, authorities said.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin and state police said Friday that search warrants were executed Wednesday in Cumberland and Atlantic counties related to the suspected Cumberland County operation, which he said was believed to be the largest ever charged in the state.

Platkin called dogfighting a “cruel and barbaric practice” and alleged that animals found were “often tortured and abused to an unimaginable degree.” One method used to prepare animals “to fight to their deaths” involved strapping them to ATVs and forcing them “to run at speeds as high as 14 miles an hour, often for long periods of time,” he said.

The Humane Society said officers working all day in the pouring rain found dogs and puppies in barren pens and cages or “shivering in the cold rain” in outdoor pens. Some dogs had significant scarring and untreated wounds, officials said.

Bruce Low Jr., 44, of Milmay faces 18 charges including racketeering, conspiracy, money-laundering and leading a dogfighting network. A message was sent Saturday to an attorney that BreakingAC reports represented him in an initial court appearance. Seven other people also face charges; also named were a construction firm and a dog-breeding firm that on its website strongly denies condoning use of animals for any illegal purpose such as dogfighting.

Authorities allege in criminal affidavits that Low earned “a significant amount of income” from dogfighting as well as sale of fighting dogs, stud fees and gambling winnings. Investigators allege that he told an undercover agent in February that he had 61 “concerts” or dogfights in the past year.

Personal Narrative: My Life As A Dog Essay

That Dog I was never a dog lover. My kids always wanted a dog. I dug my heels in but eventually, they wore me down with chorus’ of “please can we get a dog? ” Begrudgingly, I began looking for a dog. It was to be a Christmas present for my kids, an older dog, a trained dog. I knew that I did not have the patience for training and I knew that when kids say they will help; I knew exactly what that meant. I started looking for a free dog, a dog no one wanted. The first place I looked was the online bulletin board that my place of employment had and there he was, a 5year-old “energetic” yellow labrador.

Labs are good dogs, right? I called the owner and we set a time to meet and greet. My kids were excited, me, not so much. My father passed away days before we were to meet that dog. It was at the funeral that I received a call from that dog’s owner wanting to know if I really wanted the dog because she explained that if you are not going to take him, I have another person that will. ” I had to decide right then and there if I was going to take that dog, sight unseen, no backing out.

Against my better judgement, I accepted that the kids and I were going to go to Appleton and bring home that dog we have never met, like it or not. Meekly I replied “yes, I will. ” We made that ride to Appleton and as we approached the door to that dog’s home we could hear the barking and see the excited dog jumping around, tail wagging. He had no idea he was going for a long ride never to return to this place he called home. I asked about his likes and dislikes and if there were any concern about behavior.

That dog’s old owner told me “he was never off leash because he did not like to come when called, he ever went hunting or swimming. ” I remember thinking “what kind of life did they let him have? ” After that dog had been living with us for some time, it was becoming clear that although he enjoyed being with my kids and they took him to do many things, including swimming and hunting, he was a great hunter without even being trained, he chose me. Of all people, he picked me to be his human. I was the one he looked to for reassurance. I fed him, cleaned up after him, made sure he got plenty of exercise. I let that dog sleep in my bed!

He trusted me unconditionally. We went for walks, we visited friends, we went to the beach. I could let him off leash and he would always circle back to check on me, making sure that I was there and had not gotten lost. I trusted that dog and he went everywhere with me. He was at my side all the time. I loved that dog as much as he loved me. That was one of the best decisions I have made. As my kids grew up and moved on with their lives, that dog was going to be my buddy, my companion, keeping my nest from being too empty. Sadly, that was not in the cards for me.

I did not know that while we went about enjoying each other’s company a tumor was silently growing in his belly, undetected slowly taking him from me. When I was finally aware that he was sick it was really too late to do anything for him but to make the biggest, saddest decision ever, to let him go and ease his pain. Theld his head and looked him in his eyes so that he would know that I was with him on his final journey, it was the least I could do to repay him for all that he had given me. The last day I had that dog was the one of the hardest days | have ever had to go through.

The loss of a pet is never easy; to me he was part of my family, my third hair kid. I could not even consider replacing that dog, none would be able to live up to the greatness that he was. Oh, how I loved that dog, that Toby! | didn’t need to go through that kind of pain again. The thing is though, he taught me so many things and was such a wonderful dog, he rescued me. He taught me how to love a dog. In my mind I heard him saying in his doggy voice” you need a dog, Mom. Go get her mom. Find her, she needs you, save her! ” | was ready and I did. Toby gave me Ruby.

Several dogs and cats taken from Sebastian home; woman charged with animal cruelty

SEBASTIAN − Over a dozen dogs and cats were taken from a home by animal control officers after calls about their living conditions since last September led to a series of law enforcement visits and ultimately the woman's arrest on animal cruelty charges.

Altogether 14 dogs and cats were taken Wednesday from the Sebastian woman's home to the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County, where they were examined and given medical treatment for multiple conditions and symptoms, wounds and infections associated with prolonged neglect.

Indian River County Sheriff's Office records show Katherine Clarke, 61, of Carnation Drive, was arrested on a warrant with 14 animal cruelty-related charges.

According to court records, animal control officers were first called regarding animals owned by Clarke on Sept. 8, 2023 by residents who reported a dog running loose and covered in excrement.

The reports state in February, after the case had been closed and reopened, officers visited the home and found the interior covered in animal excrement and urine.

Officers reporting it was "difficult to breathe" or "maintain balance" due to the conditions, which included animals living among debris and trash, and a bucket too tall for some of the dogs to drink from and it had cloudy, bug-infested water as the only water source, and dog food lying on the ground.

Indian River County animal control officers first went to the home in September 2023 and at that time Clarke reportedly told them her "health issues" made it difficult for her to clean the home.

Three days later, there was another report to animal control stating Clarke couldn't care for the number of animals in the home.

They finally met with Clarke in her yard and animal officers gave instructions on obtaining care, vaccines, licenses and assistance caring for her animals.

According to the records, Clarke told them she took the animals to Brevard County for care, but did not provide proof of care or vaccines.

Officers learned the next day Clarke had taken one dog for care at the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County and that it was considered "taken care of," aside from its smell. The case was closed in December, despite at least one more report made about the same "filthy" living conditions at the home.

In late January, environmental health code enforcement officers contacted animal control and then Clarke of plans for a Feb. 21 walk-through of the home.

Just days before their visit, however, animal control officers learned the woman had tried, but was denied, attempts to have bodies of two dogs disposed of at a veterinarian's office. The incidents led to a Feb. 19 welfare check at Clarke's home with Sebastian police.

As officers approached her vehicle and home, they noted the odor of decay from both, and police reported she told them of a dead dog in the car and another in the home, of which she tried to dispose of at the vet office and landfill.

Once inside the home, officers documented the conditions of the dogs, but reported there were "far worse" conditions for what was said to be at least three cats in a room with no water source.

An arrest warrant was signed April 2 and Clarke was arrested Wednesday just before 7 a.m.

She was charged with 13 misdemeanor animal charges for each animal, and one charge of unlawful confinement of animals.

As a condition of receiving $70,000 bail, she was prohibited from possessing any animals.

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email [email protected] or call 772-978-2246.

More: Partly sunny, some cloud cover in forecast for Monday's solar eclipse, NWS Melbourne says

More: Man convicted in 1988 Vero Beach rape case loses legal bid to undo two life prison terms

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British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Saturday it had received information that a vessel had been targeted around 61 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah in Yemen.

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Government candidate Peter Pellegrini narrowly led Slovakia's presidential election, a prediction model by news website dennikn.sk, based on partial results, showed on Saturday.

Airline passengers in parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland faced travel disruption at airports on Saturday due to flight cancellations as a storm swept across both countries and left thousands of Irish homes with power outages.

'Dog was acting wacky.' Social media reacts after earthquake sends shocks to Delaware

Delawareans across the state are all shook up on social media after the 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey made its presence felt in the First State on Friday morning.  

People from all three Delaware counties said they experienced the earthquake in the comments section on the Facebook page for the Delaware Emergency Management Agency . DEMA is the lead state agency for coordinating emergency preparedness, response and recovery. 

"Definitely felt it in Lewes! Glasses were clattering and condo was shaking," one person wrote.  

"Felt it in Dover, Delaware. I was sitting on my couch and was like what the heck was that," a Kent County resident explained, followed by another person who added, "me too! Windows were rattling and dog was acting wacky." 

One person on the post said they live near Dover Air Force Base and assumed the quake was military-related: "I live by the base and I thought one of the planes were taking off. It’s not uncommon for our house to shake a little bit when the big plane takes off but it’s really noisy." 

NJ earthquake: 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck New Jersey Friday morning. What caused it and what's next

4.8 magnitude earthquake: It was felt in Delaware, New Jersey and East Coast. Here's what we know

But the tremors were experienced upstate, too. "Definitely felt it here in Wilmington, lasted a few seconds," a Facebook user wrote. "Felt it In Newark DE about 10:24am," a different person said. 

Not everyone, however, was upset about the tremor, including one person who is from the West Coast: "Fun times! California native. Used to earthquakes. Fun to have a little rattling," they wrote. 

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 10:23 a.m. 

Residents in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts also reported feeling the earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's website .  

"I'm still shaken about it," one person posted on X. 

Delaware Online/The News Journal reporter Isabel Hughes ( [email protected] ) contributed to this report.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter  Andre Lamar  at  [email protected] . Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at  delawareonline.com/newsletters . 

Family attacked in Illinois stabbing spree praises son and dog for saving their lives

ROCKFORD, Ill. — A mother who was injured in an Illinois stabbing spree Wednesday said that if it wasn’t for her son, who was also attacked, she and her daughter might not have survived after the attacker entered their home.

Darlene Weber and her children, Jacob Vollman, 21, and Cathy Gilfillan, 23, described the assault. Christian Soto is accused of going on a rampage Wednesday afternoon, ultimately killing four people and injuring seven others , including Weber and her kids.

"I mean, this is, like, my knight in shining armor, and he’s my son. It was like God sent him to me and sent me a gift in a small package and I was blessed with that," Weber, 46, said in an interview Thursday.

"I’m not even kidding. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I’d be standing here talking to you right now," she said of her son. "I really don’t. It was frightening."

Soto was arrested on charges of murder, attempted murder and home invasion.

Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said Soto admitted to the crimes and said he had taken marijuana he believed was "laced with an unknown narcotic" before the attacks at multiple locations in Rockford and an area of Winnebago County shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.

Weber said she and her two kids — all of whom have visible injuries — were home Wednesday afternoon when she took her pit bull, Brandy, out the back door and heard a man say "hey" to her before he stabbed her in the face.

As she crawled through the house screaming for Vollman to help her, she said, Brandy jumped on and bit the man, giving her enough time to escape.

“It all happened like such a blink of an eye,” Weber said. “Remembering back, it was almost like he literally tried to kill me.”

She said Vollman then approached the man as she scrambled to find her phone and call 911.

Vollman said he went to find his mom, who was screaming for help, "and I just turn my head, and he’s standing, like, right there. And he literally looks at me and says, 'Come here,' and starts charging at me, and then he swings on me a couple of times." He added that he fought the man "head on."

He said he was hit with a metal ring around the bottom of the knife but was not stabbed with the blade.

After a couple of minutes of fighting with Vollman, the attacker turned his attention to Gilfillan, who had just awakened at 1 p.m. to screams of "help, help" and "get out of my house, you shouldn't be here," she said.

She said she ran upstairs, where she found her brother "boxing" with the man. At first she thought it might have been one of her brother’s friends; then, she said, the man turned toward her, charged at her and "clocked me one" before she fell into the fetal position.

She said he was about to hit her again when her brother began "waling on him" with a syrup bottle.

Gilfillan said the attacker then "dipped" out the back door, at which point police arrived.

"If it wasn't for him," she said, referring to Vollman, "me and mom would not be here."

'The devil incarnate'

Vollman said the attacker "had the world's biggest smile on his face" when he approached him in the home, and Gilfillan said his eyes looked totally black.

"He had no brown in his eyes. It was straight pupil, like he was on drugs or something," Gilfillan said.

Weber said, "He looked like the devil incarnate."

The three survivors said the man was covered in blood when he arrived at their home, including his hands, sweater and pants.

"It's like a horror movie," Weber said.

The family, who just moved to the neighborhood in October, said they no longer feel safe there. But Weber said she is "not going to let somebody like that scare me from ... having a tranquil life with my family."

Weber said she "broke down" in the aftermath of the assault, because "I felt kind of guilty that we were survivors and ... you had these innocent people that were taken from their families."

The rampage also claimed the lives of Soto's friend Jacob Schupbach, 23; his friend's mother, Ramona Schupbach, 63; a mailman doing his job, Jay Larson; and Jenna Newcomb, 15, who died saving her sister.

Soto told police that he went to Jacob Schupbach's house Wednesday afternoon to smoke marijuana and that he thinks it was laced, causing him to become paranoid, Hanley, the state’s attorney, told reporters.

Soto "said he retrieved a knife from the kitchen at Jacob’s house and proceeded to stab Jacob and Ramona to death,” Hanley said.

Weber said: "I can’t even wrap my head around what happened yesterday. It’s so hard to just sit here and just talk about it or to even replay it. I just can’t get that picture of him standing there and saying 'hey' to me and then the reach. I can only imagine what everyone else went through."

Maggie Vespa reported from Rockford and Rebecca Cohen reported from New York.

NBC News Correspondent

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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Guest Essay

Ethan Crumbley’s Parents Were Just Part of a Much Bigger Problem

By Elizabeth Spiers

Ms. Spiers, a contributing Opinion writer, is a journalist and digital media strategist.

James and Jennifer Crumbley never anticipated that their then-15-year-old son, Ethan, would use the 9-millimeter Sig Sauer handgun Mr. Crumbley had bought — ostensibly as an early Christmas present — to kill four students at a Michigan high school. At least that’s the argument their lawyers made in court before Ms. Crumbley, last month, and Mr. Crumbley, almost two weeks ago, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in separate trials. Prosecutors argued that the Crumbleys did not do enough to secure the gun and ignored warning signs that Ethan was planning to use it.

After every mass shooting by a teenager at a school, there is an instinct to look to the shooter’s parents to understand what went wrong. In the case of the Crumbleys, this seems obvious: Ethan left disturbing journal entries fantasizing about shooting up the school, and stating that he had asked his parents for help with his mental health issues but didn’t get it. His father said the family had a gun safe but the safe’s combination was the default factory setting, 0-0-0.

One factor that’s gotten less attention, however, is how the Crumbleys’ attitudes and actions reflect an increasingly insidious gun culture that treats guns as instruments of defiance and rebellion rather than as a means of last resort.

I’ve been thinking about this case a lot because I grew up in the 1980s and ’90s in a rural part of the Deep South where almost everyone I knew had guns in the house, unsecured, and mental illness was stigmatized and often went untreated. Church was considered a superior venue for counseling, and only “crazy” people sought professional help. If the evidence for criminal negligence is a failure to lock up a gun and ignoring signs of mental illness, many of the adults I grew up around would have been (and still would be) vulnerable to the same charges as the Crumbleys.

It’s convenient and comforting for many people to believe that if it had been their child, they’d have prevented this tragedy. But prison visiting rooms are full of good, diligent parents who never thought their kid would be capable of landing there.

My parents didn’t own a gun safe, but kept guns hidden away from us, which, like many gun owners at the time, they thought of as “secured.” The men in my family were all hunters and the guns they kept were hunting rifles, not AR-15s. (You can’t feed a family with deer meat that’s been blown to bits.) I knew my parents kept a handgun, too, but it was never shown to us, or treated as a shiny new toy.

Gun culture was different then. It would have never occurred to my parents to acquire an entire arsenal of guns and display them prominently around the house, as some people now do, or ludicrously suggest that Jesus Christ would have carried one . They did not, as more than a few Republican politicians have done, send out Christmas photos of their children posing with weapons designed explicitly to kill people at an age when those children likely still believed Santa existed. Open carry was legal, but if you were to walk into the local barbecue joint with a semiautomatic rifle on your back emblazoned with fake military insignia, people would think you were creepy and potentially dangerous, not an exemplar of masculinity and patriotism.

All of these things happen now with regularity, and they’re considered normal by gun owners who believe that any kind of control infringes on their Second Amendment rights. Children are introduced at a young age to guns like the Sig Sauer that Ethan Crumbley used. They’re taught to view guns as emblematic of freedom and the right to self-defense — two concepts that have been expanded to include whatever might justify unlimited accumulation of weapons.

“Freedom” is short for not being told what to do, even though the law very much dictates how and when guns should be used. “Self-defense” is often talked about as a justifiable precaution in the event of home invasion, though home invasions are as rare as four-leaf clovers and do not require an arsenal unless the invader is a small army. (It’s also worth noting that basic home security systems are far less expensive than many popular guns, which suggests that at the very least, some gun owners may be intentionally opting for the most violent potential scenario.) Most important, too many children are taught that guns confer power and can and should be used to intimidate other people. (Relatedly, any time I write about gun control, at least one gun owner emails to say he’d love to shoot me, which is not exactly evidence of responsible gun ownership.)

Mass shooters often begin with a grievance — toward certain populations, individuals they feel wronged by, society at large — and escalate their behavior from fantasizing about violence to planning actual attacks. A study from 2019 suggests that feeling inadequate may make gun owners more inclined toward violence. In the study, gun owners were given a task to perform and then told that they failed it. Later they were asked a number of questions, including whether they would be willing to kill someone who broke into their home, even if the intruder was leaving. “We found that the experience of failure increased participants’ view of guns as a means of empowerment,” wrote one researcher , “and enhanced their readiness to shoot and kill a home intruder.”

The study hypothesized that these gun owners “may be seeking a compensatory means to interact more effectively with their environment.”

Good parents model healthy interactions all the time. If their kids are struggling with a sense of inferiority or are having trouble dealing with failure, we teach them self-confidence and resilience. Parents who treat guns as a mechanism for feeling more significant and powerful are modeling an extremely dangerous way to interact with their environment.

What’s particularly hypocritical here is that the most strident defenders of this culture skew conservative and talk a lot about what isn’t appropriate for children and teenagers. What they think is inappropriate often includes educating kids about sex, about the fact that some people are gay or transsexual and about racism. It’s a perverse state of affairs: Exposing children to simple facts is dangerous, but exposing them to machines designed to kill is not. You can’t get your driver’s license until you’re a teenager, or buy cigarettes and alcohol until you’re 21, but much earlier than that, kids can, with adult supervision, legally learn how to end someone’s life.

Parents can’t ensure that their child won’t ever feel inferior or disempowered, or even in some cases become delusional or filled with rage. Teenagers do things that their parents would never anticipate every day, even if they’re close and communicative. Some develop serious drug habits or become radicalized into extremism or take their own lives.

One thing parents can ensure is that their children cannot get access to a gun in their house. The only foolproof way to do that is to ensure that there’s no gun in the house to begin with. Barring that, parents can make sure they are not reinforcing a toxic gun culture that says that displaying and threatening to use lethal machines is a reasonable way to deal with anger or adversity. That message makes the idea of killing someone seem almost ordinary.

That doesn’t prevent school shooters; it primes them.

Elizabeth Spiers, a contributing Opinion writer, is a journalist and digital media strategist.

Source photographs by CSA-Printstock and John Storey, via Getty Images.

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