Colt Gray’s guilty plea in the tragic 2024 school shooting isn’t just another headline; it’s a glaring spotlight on the rotting core of parental responsibility. Yet, as you flip through the glossy pages of CNN or MSNBC, you’ll find them tugging at your heartstrings with pity for the victims—a common tactic to steer the narrative away from uncomfortable truths. They want you to focus on policies, not parenting.

But let’s cut the melodrama, people. Gray’s actions reflect a broader societal issue rooted in family structure, mental health, and the alarming disregard many parents have for their kids’ wellbeing. Rather than interrogating the systemic failures that allow this kind of tragedy to happen, outlets like NBC and the New York Times dance around it, carefully crafting their narratives to maintain a sanitized image of responsibility. They’d rather push gun control agendas than admit that parents have a role in shaping the very individuals who commit these acts of violence.

Fox News, meanwhile, is no saint, either. Their angle? “Look at the parents—why didn’t they see the signs?” Sure, but they too spin it heavy on blaming the system. As if that distraction ever leads us to actually discuss the real issues. It’s all theatrics to distract us from tackling the hard conversations about accountability and familial involvement, because let’s face it: recognizing parental failure doesn’t fit their neatly packaged narratives. Instead, let’s ignite a discussion on how we can get parents back in the game instead of perpetuating blame elsewhere.