I Don’t Want To Be Just Another Parent In America
I am scared, but I will not live in fear.
May 24, 2022 11:00AM
I was at my son’s school. He just finished fifth grade and is moving on to middle school. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. My son is autistic and non-verbal, and graduating from elementary was one of his milestones. It was a proud mommy moment for me, watching him with other happy kids who were very proud of their achievements.
I never imagined that we would hear the terrible news about another school shooting an hour later.
The Uvalde school shooting terrified me to my core. Yes, there have been school shootings before, but this was different for me. It opened my eyes to the reality of how easy it is for anyone, no matter the age, to get military-grade guns in this country. It scared me that an 18-year-old kid could just walk into a gun store, purchase weapons and ammo, and do whatever he wanted.
The news about it still hurts me. I saw a parent talking about rescuing her children. I cried. A lot. I would do that in a heartbeat if that happened to me.
Gun violence is now the number one cause of death for America’s children. There have been more mass shootings in 2022 alone than the number of days of the year. It is scary, and it seems like nothing is happening. Sadly, the country is held hostage by a handful of politicians who work for the gun lobbyists instead of the people.
“How can my child stay safe?” This question is in all of the parents’ minds every day. I am terrified, but I don’t want to live in fear.
I am not losing hope. We should not lose hope. I know things will change. I can see it on social media, where people share their disdain for school shootings and gather up for change. I see news of sensible gun owners surrendering their assault rifles to the police. This time is different.
90% of Americans want sensible gun laws and background checks. We need the government to hear that. We need to demand change from them and tell them to do their job of passing common-sense gun laws. Let us each do our part in our own little ways, and together we can make a difference.
For the sake of our children.
