The 18th school shooting of 2018 was on Valentine’s Day, FEBRUARY 14th… just 45 days into the year.

*NOTE: 18th school shooting. Not all were during school hours, and not all had injuries, but to me, that is beside the point. There were bullets fired near or on school grounds, and that is just not ok.

I’m angry.

I’m terrified.

I send my two young children to school 3-5 days a week, and every time I fear something terrible could happen to them, at the place they should be safest (besides at home with me). They are 2 and 5. I shouldn’t have these feelings. No parent should have to fear to send their kids to school. Ever. Can I put them in a bubble? Should I homeschool them? What can I do to ensure a school shooting won’t happen to them, to us, to anyone?

I feel helpless.

Why do we have to feel unsafe in crowded spaces? Shouldn’t we feel comfortable at our town Christmas parade, or at our local shopping mall? How did our society come to this?

Really. I’d love an answer.

“On average, two dozen children are shot every day in the United States, and in 2016 more youths were killed by gunfire — 1,637 — than during any previous year this millennium.” That’s according to John Woodrow Cox, a reporter at The Washington Post.

We had earthquake drills when I was a kid. My 5-year-old is in transitional kindergarten; she has lockdown drills…

Imagine a 5-year-old learning how to protect herself against an armed gunman at the school she attends daily. I’m over here trying to shield her from the news because it’s scary when I should probably be teaching her about what danger is out there. She’s just so innocent, and I don’t want to cloud her world with thoughts of terror.

We need to do something to get guns out of the hands of people who have the will to do such evil in our world. I’m not saying outlaw them. Just keep them away from people who aren’t responsible enough to use them properly. Seriously, how hard is it?! With the current statistics, obviously much harder than it should be.

So what can we do?

I am in no way an expert on gun control, so I did some research and here’s what I found out.

— If you own a gun, that is your right, but please keep it locked up tight where your kids can’t get a hold of it. My husband has a shotgun. He plays skeet with it once in a while at the shooting range. You better believe that thing is disassembled, unloaded, with the trigger lock on, and in a safe, way out of reach.

– There is a national school walkout scheduled today, March 14th… to honor the lives that were recently lost in the Florida school shooting.

• When is it? 
• “The walkout will take place on Wednesday, March 14, at 10 a.m. local time, and last for 17 minutes to honor the lives of those killed at Stoneman Douglas.” according to CNN.  Learn more HERE.

– If you are concerned about someone’s mental state, call 1-800-273-TALK. They can help direct you to the proper treatment if needed.

— Text ACT to 644-33 to help end gun violence in America. These are the things they are working on:

• Pressuring lawmakers to improve our gun laws
• Raising awareness about gun violence
• Educating the public about common-sense gun laws and responsible gun ownership

Go HERE to learn more about ACT.

“On March 24, 2018, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence in our schools and communities.” Find an event near you HERE.

 

— Of course, in an emergency ALWAYS call 911.

I heard a stat that showed me that there are just way too many guns in the United States. like this: “America has six times as many firearm homicides as Canada, and nearly 16 times as many as Germany”  

Maybe we need to move to Canada or Europe? J/K. Kind of… but I’ve had enough of this.

And there has to be something we can do.

 

Want more articles like this? Check out my post  In Response To Violence.