“Tonight, I will tuck my 2nd grader and 3rd grader into their beds safely. A luxury at least 18 grieving parents will not have tonight.
But their lives, their safety, their right to go get an education without lockdown drills, bulletproof doors, free of fear – and for their brave teachers to not have to be willing to literally sacrifice their lives should they be called to do so – should not be a LUXURY.
So while I am absolutely grieving and praying for these parents, for this community, and for our country, I will not just offer my thoughts and prayers. I will not just post about what happened. I will not argue with people not willing to see the big picture.
But I will MAKE different choices going forward regarding what and who I stand for because all arguments for all sides don’t matter when our children are dying while trying to learn their damn ABCs and how to write in cursive.
I will imagine what it would be like if it were my children because it will in fact drive me to make choices and raise my voice for their safety, and the safety of every child in America. If you imagine it’s your baby, if you can stomach it, you will vow to change, too.
I believe in your fundamental rights, and my husband is willing to die to protect your freedoms. But I also love my children and yours too much to keep going forward like this.
What we’re doing is NOT WORKING. It isn’t enough. And I for one will no longer settle for the bare minimum.
We HAVE TO DO BETTER. our lives literally depend on it, and more importantly, our children’s lives do.
I will be praying, because I believe in a faithful, loving God, yes, but I will also be taking action.
This isn’t a left or right issue. It can’t be. And I will BEG of you to remember there won’t be anything left for us to fight over at the rate we’re currently going.
Our babies need us to come together…because right now we are collectively failing them.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Melissa Hammerle from Virginia. You can follow her journey on Instagram and her website. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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