Are Our Children Really Safe In School?

Thank you Amnesty International for sponsoring this post.

JB started kindergarten two weeks ago, and to say that it’s been an adjustment for us is an understatement. First of all, it’s a new school and he’s still getting to know the routine. That fact in and of itself has created some anxiety for both of us. To add to that somewhat normal anxiety is the added stress of having to feel as though I may be risking his life by simply leaving him on school grounds. Every morning when I drop him off I have to steel myself against the urge to grab him and take him home with me. I’ve even considered the possibility of homeschooling. In fact, I had to mentally apologize to the homeschooling moms I judged before I had a school-aged child of my own. I would classify these moms as being overprotective and concluded that their children would be socially awkward.

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Today I applaud those moms. They’ve got the guts to do what many moms have decided to do after the Sandyhook Massacre, where twenty 6 and 7-year-old children were murdered in their classrooms.  I know I’ve never been the same. So much so that when I drop JB off at school each morning I’m often overwhelmed. Primarily by the sheer number of children who are on school grounds, seemingly hundreds, just running around and happy as clams.  It’s a lot to take in, and they are complete innocents. They are unaware of how easy it would be for someone to simply pull up to the school and gun them down one by one. The horror of imagining that scenario is almost too much to bear. But it actually happens. It continues to happen. Our lax gun laws allow these scenarios to go, unchecked, from our imagination to reality.

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According to Amnesty International

“In 2016, 38,658 people died as a result of gun violence, and over 116,000 more people suffered non-fatal injuries. Per capita, this is significantly higher than in other industrialized countries.”

Yet, in spite of this well-known data, the increasing rates of gun ownership, and the ease of access to firearms by people who have no business owning guns, the U.S government is failing to meet its minimal obligation to protect and promote human rights.

I mean really, have any laws passed to slow down the number of these shootings? Furthermore has anything been done to address the fact that as a black boy, my son is far more likely to be a victim of gun violence than his white counterparts?

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Amnesty International, the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization, just released a new report this September calling gun violence in the United States what it is: a human rights crisis.  The report – written by Amnesty International’s team of expert researchers – details how relatively easy access to guns has affected the lives of US residents.  The report asks our government to promote and protect our basic human rights by taking action to reduce and address gun violence.

It’s a grim situation, but we can do something about it. You can take action by clicking HERE to sign this petition to stop the sale of illegal guns. Amnesty International is working day and night campaigning on bills in states all over the country. One bill is to end illegal gun trafficking in Illinois. This bill would also require common sense measures to help stop the sale of illegal guns in the state. It would make communities safer by requiring video surveillance outside dealerships, and it would make our kids safer by prohibiting new gun dealerships from opening within 500 meters of a school.

Truthfully, do we have any other choice but to be involved? If you’re still unsure about taking action by signing this petition, watch this short video featuring gun violence survivors. Their stories are pretty harrowing:

Click HERE  to learn more about how you can help end gun violence

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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