Friday, February 16, 2018

Parkland shooting

The school shootings in Florida were very disturbing to me.
I’m sure they were to everyone.
Besides the obvious reasons to be disturbed, Majory Stoneman Douglas High is an AFT school like Sandy Hook.
Unlike in 2012, I now personally know many more teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school personnel, including those at Sandy Hook.
I understand them better and understand that like healthcare workers, educators face daily safety threats to themselves and their students.
And these high school students are articulating what they are going through in a way that kindergarten students cannot.

It’s disturbing.
And it should be.

So many mass shootings since Sandy Hook, in schools and elsewhere.
When will we do something?

The influence of big money in elections is such a problem, and the gun lobby has big money and will spend it.
We’re told its not a “gun problem” it’s a “mental health problem,” yet the same people who claim this also vote to cut funds to treat mental health services.

The investigation will determine “the true problem,” but we already know what that is.
We elect people who fail time and again to address this.
They lack the courage.

There are common sense answers to decrease the chance that the wrong people will have guns and use them like this.
Legislators know this.

We need to force them to act or we need to replace them.
Please make sure you are registered, educated on the issues, and voting.
Make sure those around you do the same.

Enough school children have died.

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