Schools are to be safe havens for inquiring minds and fertile ground for budding passions. Classrooms are to be hubs of boundless imagination and expanding creativity. Teachers are to be guardians of equity, embracing each child’s differences and cultivating joy and excellence. Our schools, our teachers, and our children deserve better. Each time schoolyards become crime scenes from outrageous acts of violence, we fail as a society. The senseless violence must end.
The ripple effects from this horrific act are felt beyond the local community and extend across the nation, and the globe. As global citizens, we must take immediate action to ensure our schools and our communities are protected from the ire of gun violence. There are many opportunities and resources available to take action. Here is a brief list from the Violence Policy Center, of ways you can make your stand against the brutality of gun violence:
- Contact your elected representatives and demand that they support and advocate for effective gun violence prevention legislation. Call your U.S. Senators and Representative via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell them that you SUPPORT a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
- Make an online tax-deductible contributionto the Violence Policy Center. Or, engage your friends to take a stand against gun violence. Encourage family and friends to support the VPC by setting up your own fundraiser on Facebook.
- Join a local gun violence prevention organization. Visit States United to Prevent Gun Violence, the national umbrella organization for state gun violence prevention organizations to find a group in your state.
- Write a letter to the editor in your local paper in support of gun violence prevention. Or use social media to support the Violence Policy Center’s efforts to stop gun violence. Visit the Center’s Twitterfeed or our Facebook page for tweets and postings detailing the facts about gun violence, as well as effective solutions.
- Host your very own evening of information and action to educate your friends and community about gun violence while helping support the Violence Policy Center. For an easy how-to guide, simply click here.
- Everytown - A movement of more than 8 million moms, mayors, survivors, students, and everyday Americans working to end gun violence.
You can see the full article and list of resources here: Violence Policy Center - Stop Gun Violence
No words can console the excruciating loss families, Robb Elementary faculty and staff, and the local Uvalde community are experiencing right now. We mourn alongside the community of Uvalde and all those affected.