Those seventeen lives were just beginning.
Those seventeen lives matter.
As of today, those seventeen join many, many more in a string of senseless MURDERS at SCHOOLS. Let's call them what they are.
School is a place my child should be safe. It's supposed to be the fucking government's responsibility to CARE for, and PROTECT my child when she's not with me.
But they're failing to do that.
Let's look at some 100% honesty right now:
- Shooter drills AREN'T WORKING (they were in place in Florida and activated - seventeen children STILL DIED).
- Americans will NEVER give up their guns, and the US will NEVER try to force its citizens to give up their guns.
- Most schools in the US are on a limited budget, hence metal detectors can't be afforded.
- A majority of kids aren't as supervised nowadays as they were even ten years ago by their parents.
- When kids see counselors at school, the kids aren't feeling heard (if they feel as though they can go to the counselor in the first place, that is).
- Guns are too accessible.
- Talking about mental illness and praying isn't doing DICK.
So, rather than scream at the media, march to show how you feel, or post a rant on Facebook about how GUNS ARE EVIL AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED, how about you do something in your own community?
ACT. Don't just talk about how pissed you are.
An action plan that just might work:
- Get involved. Go to the school and talk to the principal or the PTO person. Get all the parents in your community together in a MANDATORY meeting. You don't show up? Your kid gets suspended until you attend a meeting. The worst thing the principal can say is no, and if he/she does that, ORGANIZE A MEETING OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL ON YOUR OWN. Don't fucking give up.
- Harsh? You BET YOUR ASS IT IS.
- But it's time to make people stand up and take responsibility for their own kids' actions. It's time to get them INVOLVED in preventing this shit from happening AGAIN.
- Involve local law enforcement. Have those wonderful folks in blue come in and teach child/gun safety to EVERY parent (that's what your meeting is about). In school or out of school, MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
- Hold a community fundraiser to buy trigger locks the officers can give away for free and use them to teach people how to use and how to keep firearms SAFE and out of the hands of our fucking kids!
- Have the counselor talk to the parents about recognizing signs of depression and thoughts of violence.
- Visit EVERY GUN STORE within a 30 mile radius of YOUR house, and ask them what THEY'RE doing to vet the people who come in to buy firearms. Demand change if need be. These stores have a responsibility to act in a way that makes the cities they sell guns in safer.
- Ask local law enforcement to visit the stores regularly and do checks. FOLLOW UP.
- Do a fund raiser to help PAY for those metal detectors we ALL want so very badly.
- People will follow you. They're SCARED. And they have every right to be. Sometimes, people just need a leader with a loud, strong voice.
Don't talk about change. Be the change. Make the change happen.
If ONE person in every school district takes these safety matters into their own hands, that takes care of the whole US.
It just takes one person to make a difference.
This action plan won't be 100%, but it'll CERTAINLY reduce the likelihood of more of this shit happening a great deal.
Parents HAVE to be involved. Don't wait or depend on the government to do something.
DO SOMETHING.
I'll be doing something, because I refuse to sit by and let fear of sending my child to school be a chain around my damned neck. I want her to live, grow up to be whatever she wants, have the chance to fall in love, get married, and have children of her own.
I do NOT want some angry little bastard to get a bug up their ass and take her life before she's even begun to live it.
HELL NO. FUCK THAT.
Sorry for the language today. Y'all have anything to add?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
