Back To School Essentials shouldn't include a survival plan...

This morning I was scrolling on Twitter when a video stopped me. It was a video of back to school essentials. Now it didn’t stop me because I saw a cool new backpack or trendy sneakers.

What stopped me was how the narrative shifted from the objects that the kids were purchasing for returning to school this fall, it was the narrative of a peaceful day gone terribly wrong by the presence of an active shooter.

The video was created by the Sandy Hook promise organization, and organization dedicated to not only remembering those precious lives lost at Sandy Hook elementary school but also dedicated towards efforts that end gun violence and school shootings. It’s a little over a minute long but it says a lot.

Here it is:

There’s been a lot of comments on this video. Some people are calling it tasteless, fear-mongering, and the sort. But I think that if you’re more offended by the fact that this video was created then you are that we need to create a video to bring awareness to school shootings, you’re on the wrong side of history and of reason. 

We deserve this. We deserve to watch hard things like this. And the reason why we deserve it is because of our complete inactivity and keeping our own children safe in their own schools. We deserve this hard-hitting commentary.

It breaks my heart that it has to come to this that even after a school of elementary school students faces this fear years ago that we haven’t done a single thing to ensure their safety. Not a new gun law, not a new gun ownership criteria, not a new change or adjustment. Not one single thing has been done, despite the fact that over 85% of the nation believes and support common-sense gun laws. 

America, it is truly time to do better.