How Many More Will It Take?

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gun violence school shootings how many more Providence Moms BlogOn February 14, 2018, seventeen innocent children and teachers kissed their families goodbye and walked out the door for the very last time. Their lives were lost to gun violence, a trend that’s far too common. It’s really hard to swallow that this wasn’t the first school shooting of the new year. In fact, it’s the 18th. In just six short weeks, there have been eighteen school shootings. Let that sink in for a moment. Eighteen times over the past six weeks, children were killed (yes, they were killed; I’m sick of people saying they died) when they were in a school building, trying to learn.

I am the mom of an eighteen month old baby boy who attends school with both elementary and middle school students. In the year that I have spent dropping him off each day, I have never worried about gun violence. Should I? Am I the naïve one? Instead of just worrying about whether I have all the gear that comes with an 18 month old, I now need to add this fear to the list. My heart is aching as I type these words. I hurt for the children and parents around this country who are faced with this each and every single day. I’m angry that I even have to think about these things. I’m livid that my child will grow up in a world where the NRA dictates so many decisions that are made in the political arena. I’m disgusted that guns are readily accessible in America.

How do we make the gun violence in our schools stop? Do we use metal detectors? Cameras? Police officers in schools? We can certainly try, but all of those security measures won’t take away the guns. It will scare children about going to school, increase anxiety, and create an atmosphere where learning becomes forced and difficult. Lockdown policies didn’t save lives at Sandy Hook and cameras couldn’t have protected lives during Columbine.

I am particularly overwhelmed by the specific shooting that took place in Parkland, Florida this week. During media interviews with students who witnessed the deadly attack, many indicated that they weren’t surprised to learn the identity of the shooter and that they expected something like this to “happen from him at some point.”

We need to change the mindsets of those in power throughout our country who have accepted the frequency of school shootings. Let me be clear when I say this: SCHOOL SHOOTINGS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. It is a nightmare for a community, for parents, for siblings, and for every human being who has to live their life with the fear that their child might not come home from school. Something must be done. The 19th school shooting will come, most likely sooner rather than later, and Valentine’s Day will never be the same for so many. A change in gun laws and the realization that something MUST be done will help, but it’s already taking too long.

How many lives of children and educators do we need to lose before a change is made?