Wanted: Leaders with Integrity and Backbones

If you follow this blog, you know that I focus on happy, positive, fun, creative, uplifting things. I had intended to show some Valentine-themed crafts that I did with my young cousins and a few other quilt pieces on which I have been working. I will do that, but not today. I can't do that this time as I am just too angry.

On Valentine's Day, I had finished my cleaning, food shopping, and set my dining room table as I was expecting some quilting friends for dinner. Before I began cooking, I sat down for a few moments, turned on the TV, and was met with the unfolding horror in Parkland, Florida. Tears streamed down my face as I watched small groups of young people with arms raised over their heads or resting on the shoulders of the student ahead of them exiting their high school.

Since January 1, there have been eighteen school shootings in this country. . .  Eighteen . . .  Eighteen . . .  Eighteen . . .

When I began teaching in the 70s, we had fire drills. Later, they became fire/bomb drills. Still later they became "Code Red" drills. At our middle school, a code message would come over the loud speaker and teachers would immediately lock their classroom doors, drive wedges under the doors to jam them closed, place pre-prepared black construction paper covers over the window glass, and gather the students in the farthest corner of the room away from the windows. We would huddle there quietly sitting on the floor waiting for another message signaling that the "drill" was over. These were necessary drills, but I can't begin to tell you how they made me feel. I always prayed that these drills would never, ever be real as I am sure do teachers everywhere.

No other country on earth has mass school shootings.  . . no other country. Our children are not safe in our schools, we are not safe in our churches, and nothing is being done to stop the carnage. Don't tell me it is a mental health issue. Of course, it is that, but it is more, it is the proliferation of AR 15s, assault weapons, killing machines. No one who is not in the military or law enforcement should ever be able to obtain these weapons. I am not naive enough to think that gun control will ever completely stop the violence, but actions can be taken. I understand and accept that some people own hand guns for protection and hunters have used rifles forever, but no one should have an assault rifle or a bump stock. Start there. Ban them both.

I am sick of spineless politicians blaming each other and failing to do anything to protect our children. After Sandy Hook, sane people everywhere thought that surely something would then be done. The slaughter of those precious babies and their teachers was for naught. Again and again our children have been the victims of this insanity. Their lives and minds will be forever scarred by these atrocities.

I have an idea. Lock our gutless leaders in Congress and the President and his cabinet in a large room and make them view over and over the photos from the Parkland massacre. Let them see what these children and first responders saw and will never be able to forget. Better yet, have these leaders view the carnage with their children and grandchildren sitting right beside them, and then perhaps they will understand that these are all our children and something must be done.

Lori Alhadeff, grief stricken mother of fourteen year old victim Alyssa Alhadeff, screamed into a reporter's microphone, "Mr. President, please do something." It is a scream being echoed across this anguished nation. Do something. Take action now. Do something NOW.