On Monday
On Monday my daughter got up all excited for her school day. She had a presentation to give on a pilot she had researched, and would receive extra credit if she dressed like him. So, I found the tie in her brothers closet and did her hair. We laughed about not being able to make her look bald. We ate breakfast, chatted and got her sunshiny self off to school.
Later that day she came home.
Alive.
Unlike others.
I am lucky.
Should I be? Shouldn’t this be the standard?
I just can’t imagine that call the moms in Nashville got that same morning. It is devastating to even think about. My daughter is the same age as one of the little ones that lost their lives in the school shooting. It hurts to think of that much grief.
I cannot imagine losing a teacher she loves. Or a janitor. Or any staff member from her school at a job where they signed up to educate and nurture our children. A loss like that, who can recover?
I am so sorry for anyone that is grieving from this or any other school shooting.
Regardless of where you stand politically I think we can all say we want our children and teachers to come home from school alive. For children and staff to be killed by school shootings, more frequently than any other country is beyond comprehension.
There are no words…and yet…there is something we can do.
Currently there is legislation to ban massive assault weapons in congress (like the ones used in the Nashville shooting). Unfortunately it is stalled to pass due to divided politics.
The thing is, we are more unified on this than we are led to believe. And if we use our voice, we can help save future children and communities from this terrible fate. I know we are tired of speaking up and getting slammed unexpectedly. I know I am and I hesitate to say anything for what it has cost me.
But.
If we say nothing? If we do nothing? Then nothing happens. And another shooting will come around and more kids will die in school.
Listen I will do anything for my kids. I’ll do anything for yours too. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you feel the same way.
Can we be unified in this one thing? So that when itty bitty children go off to school their mama knows she will see them after? Can we fight to make this world not so scary so they can come home for hugs, cartoons and afternoon snacks?
Words are powerful and I think its the first step. As the lovely Jen Hatmaker put it: say it at home, say it with your family, say it online… enough is enough.
Google all the things. Do what you need to do. Be informed for yourself. Research shows that banning assault weapons and red flagging dangerous individuals can have a staggering impact on school shooting prevention.We don’t need to be pigeon holed into political agendas or lulled into inaction. We do however, need to protect our kids in this way.
So many lives lost and they don’t need to be.
Let’s be one voice with love at the tip of our tongue and the forefront of our hearts. We is much bigger and and more powerful than anything we do apart. Love is a verb after all and enough really is enough.
What can we do?
Speak up! Use your voice in person and online.
Call / Write your congress person to support the national ban on assault weapons
Support organizations like Everytown or the Sandy Hook Promise
https://www.everytown.org / https://www.sandyhookpromise.org
Support gun safety laws because guns are now the #1 cause of deaths in children
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/28/1101307932/texas-shooting-uvalde-gun-violence-children-teenagers
