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Reign and Hannah lost their mother in the Dayton Massacre
By Cormell Padillow, junior staff writer
What would you do if your partner’s last living words to you were, “Babe, I just got shot in my head, I need to get to my kids?” That’s a scenario no man or woman should be faced with, but sadly is one Daryl Lee had to experience on the night of the Dayton Massacre.
Lois Oglesby, who went by Lola, was one of the nine victims shot dead by gunman Connor Betts at 1 AM last Sunday.
During the massacre, in her last moments, she decided to FaceTime Darly Lee and told him, “Babe I just got shot in my head, I need to get to my kids.” She continued telling him how much she loved him and to take care of the kids.
Oglesby leaves behind two daughters: newborn Reign and six-year-old Hannah.
Daryl Lee, Oglesby’s partner, made a Facebook post sharing the traumatic event.
Events such as these are inherently political. The argument, “don’t make this political”, is wrong because politics is about solving problems.
Of course, bad actors are playing for a team. Those people use tragic stories such as the above as a means to fight for a team. They use the suffering of mothers and fathers like Oglesby as bludgeoning tools against the other side. These stories go into one ear, filters through their premade world view, then it comes out of their mouth as premade talking points.
The question is: How many people must lose their loved ones before congress comes up with a solution?
Every time there’s a massacre or shooting, it’s either overlooked or the political game gets played.
The political game where right-wing figures argue: It’s videogames and mental health, not guns or racism.
Then, politicians give their hollow promises about we must do something about gun violence in this country.
Since the Columbine Massacre, however, we’ve seen no changes. Columbine was two decades ago.
Millennials and the generation that follows have lived in a country where school shootings and massacres have been normalized.
What does that say about the ‘tranquilizing drug of gradualism’ in the United States?
There must be something done about this issue.
Don’t send any “thoughts and prayers” until we have basic background checks.
Don’t send any “thoughts and prayers” until we solve the gun show loophole.
Don’t send any “thoughts and prayers” until a firearm permit is mandatory in every state.
We need to move the conversation from ‘I’m sending my thoughts and prayers’ to ‘I’m gonna be on the Senate floor fighting every day for your family.’
No American should have to fear being shot to death while going shopping or having a fun night with friends. This shouldn’t be the norm in the United States because this isn’t the norm in other countries.
Editors Note* Currently, there is a Facebook fundraiser to pay for the funeral cost for Lois Oglesby. Please, donate what you can.
Cormell J. Padillow is a contributing writer/intern for the Black Wall Street Times and is a Wichita, Kansas transplant. He is The Black Wall Street Times’ first intern and is currently a high schooler at Langston Hughes Academy for Art and Technology. Padillow has been a high school policy debater for 3-years and has competed at the National, State, and local levels. His words and pen have become the tool he uses to change the mind of the many.