Enough is enough.

I wasn’t going to write this. I didn’t want to write this. Frankly, I shouldn’t have to. I didn’t (and don’t) want it to be interpreted as a political statement or deemed as forcing an agenda, but I refuse to allow this to be normalized and the regularity of events to desensitize us further.

Evelyn Dieckhaus – 9 years old

Hallie Scruggs – 9 years old

William Kinney – 9 years old

Katherine Koonce – 60 years old

Cynthia Peak – 60 years old

Mike Hill – 61 years old

Let those names be held in your heart.

School shootings should not be the new normal! School shootings should not be a fear and an added anxiety on the list of parental worries. No parent should say goodbye to their children at drop off or at the bus stop and that be the last time because another shooting has rocked another community. Our children should be able to feel safe at school. Teachers should not have to add intruder drills to their lesson plans. None of this should be, but as we learned Monday from yet another shooting—this is our reality. Why?

Monday night I was helping my husband install a door in the basement and I couldn’t stop crying. I cried for those families that lost a loved one. I cried for all the people that are a part of the school and community who are now traumatized. I cried out of fear for my children’s future. Needless to say, I wasn’t much help in the basement department, but I just couldn’t stop telling my husband that it isn’t fair. You should never have to receive the news that you have to go to a location and wait to hear if your kids are one of the survivors or if you will be going home with an unbelievably tragic new reality. Knowing that the hugs and kisses you gave that morning were your last. My son is in preschool and Tuesday morning he put his coat and backpack on, and I gave him the biggest hug I could muster and told him I loved him and to have a great day. As I closed the door, I got choked up thinking about the families that are no longer able to do that because an act of senseless violence took their beautiful babies from them.

I know crying doesn’t help these families. I know living in constant fear is not an option. I know that this cycle will continue and until the next shooting happens everyone will continue to “send prayers” and offer their sympathies—and I do believe in the power of prayer, and I pray every day, but there has to be more! I don’t want to take away the 2nd amendment. I also don’t want my babies to be KILLED at school—where they should feel safe! I am sad, I am angry, but most of all, I am confused. Why is it so easy for anyone to get guns? Why are background checks a bad thing? Why is a wait time to get access to a gun purchase a bad thing? Did you know every day 120 Americans are killed with guns? (Statistic from everytown.org) I don’t want to take anyone’s rights away to gun ownership. I don’t care if you hunt or feel safer with a conceal-and-carry. I live in the Midwest; I have friends who hunt and own guns, so I understand why people own them. I don’t understand why it’s so easy to get them. I don’t understand why more of us aren’t completely outraged and want something to change. Like I always say, nothing changes if nothing changes. So can we please make some changes before any more children or loved ones are taken from us?!

I hope you all take this post for what it is – an emotional parent, worried about the potential of a school shooting rocking another community and the hope that somehow, we can keep our children safe.

Everytown.org is a website dedicated to information and change concerning gun safety policies. I don’t know what to do to make the cycle stop, but gaining information and learning more about issues concerning gun violence seems like a good place to start. I welcome any comments, fears, and concerns of your own below.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Squeeze your loved ones extra tight, and as always, happy reading.