When we respond to gun violence in the United States by enacting active shooter drills for four- and five-year-old children, we must ask ourselves if this is the best we can do to keep our children safe from gun violence at school. I believe we must and can do better.
We have a moral duty to make the world safe for our most precious resource, our children. They deserve a childhood free from fear of being shot. The growth of gun violence in the United States is a complex problem, but we must do something beside repeating the myth, “guns don’t kill, people do.”
If people are the problem, then we must fund mental health clinics and enact red-flag laws for people suffering from mental illness. Hatemongers on social media or radio and TV talk shows must be held accountable for inciting violence.
We each have a responsibility to heal our communities and world by our words and deeds. Do the hard work of educating yourself on the issues, volunteer at a homeless shelter, make a meal for a friend, reach out to an immigrant family and listen to their story.
The National Rifle Association used to promote education and gun safety. But this organization has been hijacked by the gun industry, which puts profit over the common good. Why do they opposite banning assault weapons? Or background checks? I challenge all NRA members to join me in seeking a better future for our children by joining in the fight for a safer world, free from fear of being shot in schools or public places.
— Millie Spezialy
Anchorage
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