American Schools: Be the Voice America Needs
10th February 2024 | Jared J. Gross
The Perry High School shooting marks the 394th school shooting in the United States since Columbine, nearly 25 years ago. It marks the start of the 2024 year with another stark reminder that your children and faculty members alike aren’t even safe at school – arguably the safest place for a child or teacher to be. Instead, schools have been transformed into a gun range for politicians to stand on their soap boxes and peddle their gun reform agendas. They spew their ideologies on the ears of those who like what they hear but can’t grasp that no action stands behind their soulless words. They save face by sending their “thoughts and prayers” to the communities that are struck with such travesty, all while offering the support of federal or state aid as a coping mechanism. These politicians would rather clean up the mess of the aftermath, than deal with the problem at hand. So, when is it enough America? When will the politicians that YOU have voted in be held accountable for letting another senseless act garner the viewing of the world, only to be swept under the rug and be remembered again on the anniversary. Enough is enough. The time is now.
The time has come when the voice of the average American voter is not enough to make a change in this country. We stand in a time of division, greed and hate that has plagued this country worse than any pandemic ever has. It’s a time where politicians have divided, We the People with race, social class, income, education, and most commonly, political affiliation. There is no longer a middle ground on the issues that plague our society. You’re either brainwashed to the far right, or to the far left. Issues are met with resistance instead of resolution. The only way to make change is to have money or hold the social status of an elite with a prestigious name. But what does this have to do with a school shooting you may be wondering? Well, it has everything to do with a school shooting because action can no longer start with the average American on this issue – it starts with the students and teachers nationwide to stand up for their own safety. To be the voice of reason. Politicians will not address this in a serious or timely manner until they are met with resistance from the heart of America – the body of the education system.
Students and teachers of America; please act on your behalf and for those that will come behind you. Please use your voices to stand up against the violence that continues to escalate within our local school systems. No one should be afraid to step foot in a school and question their safety. No parent should sit at work and wonder whether their child will make it home today because of the off chance they could be murdered while receiving an education. I beg you to address this issue with civilized resistance. No matter where you are reading this from within the country, hold your politicians accountable. Ask the difficult questions of how they plan on preventing a tragedy from occurring in your own neighborhood. Come together and stand up for change that may make a life-or-death difference within your own community. Millions of innocent children and teachers are counting on you. Our system has already let down over 338,00 students[i] who have been involved in school shootings since 1999 – it’s time to curb that number.
I urge the American people to let this tragic event serve as another reminder that we cannot allow politicians in this country to continue making decisions that are not in the best interest of our society. To continue to sit back and let issues spiral out of control before even thinking about “change”. To quit funding wars and other social issues in other parts of the world when we need to address our own issues at home. It is time to push back and come together – not fight one another. I will postface this by saying I didn’t write this article to say that I have all the right answers for this social issue, nor to take a political side. Both Democrats and Republicans are responsible for how they have failed our society. Instead, I wrote this to highlight the emotion of this situation and others alike, as well as the reality of American society. We need to want better, and we need to do better. It is up to us, We the People, to take control. Our youth are in danger.
[i] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/school-shootings-database/
