两位情绪激动的母亲因枪支问题出现分歧

Two Parkland Mothers in Emotional Picture Now Divided over Guns

It is an image that represents the pain and suffering of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida: two mothers crying and holding each other outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, as they wait for news from inside the school.

But the connection between the two women in the now-famous image has not lasted. They soon found themselves on opposite sides of the gun control debate, much like the rest of America.

The shorter woman with red hair is Cathi Rush. She was trying to find out whether her son, Brandon, survived the shooting, in which 17 people were killed.

Mechelle Boyle is the name of the tall woman with lighter¹ hair. The black mark on her head is a reminder² that the shooting took place on Ash Wednesday, a Christian³ holy day.

Boyle’s three children did not go to the school and were safe.

But she told the Associated Press in a recent interview, “My heart just started breaking.” She said, “Oh, my God, she [Cathi Rush] doesn’t know if her son is alive or dead. She’s here crying and can’t reach him.”

Brandon was not harmed in the shooting. But when the picture was taken, Rush was still waiting to hear from him again. He had sent her phone messages earlier telling her that he was hiding under a table.

When she had not heard from her son for nearly an hour, Rush fell to the ground. All around her were other crying parents and the sounds from emergency vehicles.

Boyle pulled Rush up from the ground and held her.

The image, taken by an Associated Press photographer, soon appeared on the front pages of newspapers and on broadcasts and websites around the world.

Rush said of the image, “In that moment it was just two moms comforting each other, scared for their kids. Not only for their kids, but their kids’ friends, their kids’ teachers.”

Rush appeared on television news programs a few days after the shooting. She first said she hated the image and felt that the photographer had intruded⁵ on a private moment.

But Rush has since welcomed the image. She had the photo printed on clothes that her family wore to anti-gun protests. At the March for Our Lives rally⁶ in Washington, she and her family carried a huge banner with the image on it. She even made the image her main Facebook picture for a time.

Rush works as a school nurse. She wants to see stronger gun control laws. She attended a few meetings of the organization Moms Demand Action, which calls for more gun safety measures to protect people against gun violence.

After the shooting, Boyle turned down all interview requests from the media until now. She said she did not lose a child and did not feel she had anything to say.

Boyle, too, attended some meetings with Moms Demand Action. She owns a gun and had served eight years in the military. She supports gun rights but has also worked to pass stronger gun control laws.

Boyle said it “made no sense” that the Parkland gunman was able to buy an AR-15 rifle at age 18.

“The terror that we felt — I see it on my face every time I look at the picture,” Boyle said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t ever want any parents to feel that.”

Before the shooting, the two women were never especially close but always friendly. Their children had attended the same elementary school. And Rush’s former husband trained Boyle’s son in soccer.

A year after the shooting, the two women are no longer in contact. In fact, Rush refused to be interviewed with Boyle. Rush said she strongly disagrees with Boyle on gun control and politics.

Boyle said, “She was very upset at me because I was a little more pro-gun than her, and she wasn’t very happy about that.”

Rush said the shooting did not unite the community, as some have said or hoped. She said, “This community has fractured⁷ into two factions⁸ now.”

Some people want to turn schools into “fortresses.” They call for more security and for arming teachers with guns. Others, like Rush, want stronger gun control measures.

Rush said, “And they fight like you wouldn’t believe on Facebook. It’s gross¹⁰. It’s disgusting.”

I'm Ashley Thompson.

And I'm Caty Weaver¹¹.

Words in This Story

photographer - n. a person who takes pictures, especially as a job

intrude⁴ - v. to become involved with something private in an annoying way

banner - n. a large strip of cloth with a design, picture, or writing on it?

rifle - n. a gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it

tears - n. drops of liquid that comes from your eyes especially when you cry

interview - v. to question or talk with (someone) in order to get information or learn about that person

factions - n. group within a larger group that has different ideas and opinions than the rest of the group

fortress⁹ - n. a place that is protected against attack

gross - adj. rude or offensive¹²

disgusting - adj. so bad, unfair, inappropriate, etc., that you feel annoyed and angry

1 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

2 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

5 intruded   

n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于

参考例句：

• One could believe that human creatures had never intruded there before. 你简直会以为那是从来没有人到过的地方。 来自辞典例句
• The speaker intruded a thin smile into his seriousness. 演说人严肃的脸上掠过一丝笑影。 来自辞典例句

6 rally   

n.集会，公路汽车赛；v.集合，恢复，振作

参考例句：

• The grand mass rally was held on the square.广场上举行了盛大的群众集会。
• The team captain vainly tried to rally his troops.队长试图振作部队的士气，但没有成功。

7 fractured   

adj. 断裂的 动词fracture的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He died in the car collision with his skull fractured. 他在那次撞车事件中因头骨碎裂而死去。
• He fell from a tree and his leg fractured in three places. 他从树上掉下来，腿三处骨折。

8 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

9 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。

10 gross   

adj.全部的，粗俗的，肥胖的；vt.获得...总收入

参考例句：

• The gross weight of the box of chocolates is 500 grams.那盒巧克力的全部重量是500克。
• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。

11 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

12 offensive   

adj.令人不快的，侮辱的，攻击用的；n.进攻

参考例句：

• His mode of doing business is offensive to me.他干事情的方式叫我很不喜欢。
• If all else fails,I will take the offensive.如果其他方法不行，我将采取攻势。