10 markers.
for as long as i’ve been teaching, 10 crayola markers have caused more trouble and turmoil than any other toy, manipulative or treat. i have yet to meet a child who wouldn’t bend over backwards for a fresh pack of markers. in my classroom the students work at tables, typically in groups of 4. my students learn very early in the year that in order to keep the markers at the tables, the markers must be cared for properly and taken care of in a responsible way. the rule is simple: if you abuse it, you lose it. over the last 24 hours i’ve thought a lot about that rule, and how it could parallel to the situation our nation has found itself in yet again. i want to be clear, i in no way seek to minimize or simplify the issue of gun safety in our country. i would never suggest that it can be broken down or likened to a group of kindergarteners with a pack of markers. what i will say is that i believe the foundational principle can be applied to both kindergarteners with markers and citizens with guns. if you abuse the privilege, you lose the privilege. my father has legally purchased guns, which he uses for sport during hunting season. he’s had them for as long as i can remember and he’s always taught me the absolute necessity of using caution, care and responsibility when it comes to owning a gun. guns are not toys. my dad taught me that. but somewhere along the line they have become toys to so many individuals in our country. the access to guns has cheapened what they are at their core: weapons. my hope is to provide resources that will be useful for you, yes YOU, to educate yourself and take action within your state. i’m tired of feeling helpless. i’m tired of feeling despondent. i’m tired of the vigils, the flowers, the flags flying at half mast, the thoughts and the prayers. i’m tired of words without action. we say no more. we say never again. now our actions need to breathe life into those words and bring them closer to fruition. one of the victims from el paso was a young mother. she was murdered while shielding her 2 month old baby boy. she was shopping for school supplies. i took my son to trader joe’s this morning. i sat for minutes in the parking lot before getting out of my car. i almost didn’t go in. i was legitimately terrified. here’s the reality: with the rate of gun violence increasing as rapidly as it is, it’s simply a matter of time before one of the faces of victims on my tv screen is someone i know. someone i love. someone i can’t imagine the world without. we have to do better. which means i have to do better. so, i got out of the car. i marched my butt into trader joe’s and got my groceries. and when i came home, i started reading. i familiarized myself with court cases, the full gamut of the second amendment, background check processes by state and the nra. i read articles from victims, scoured statistics and got myself up to date on ohio’s gun policies. after that, i emailed the office of senate majority leader mitch mcconnell and requested that the senate be reconvened to vote on h.r.8, a bipartisan bill that establishes background checks on all firearm transfers. i researched organizations who strive to end gun violence in the united states, and i donated to them. i also signed up to volunteer at local events near me. i did these things for my child. and i did them for your children. and i’ll keep doing them until something changes. because something has to change. if you abuse it, you lose it. the second amendment of our constitution grants every u.s citizen the right to bear arms. and should you make choices that break laws and put the life and liberties of others at stake, you forfeit that right. rights are rights but they are also privileges. and just like in kindergarten, we must understand that privileges are things that you earn. please, take the time to learn more. knowledge is power. and power is what we need to eradicate this vicious cycle of gun violence is our nation. below are some articles and fact pages, along with h.r.8, the bipartisan background checks act of 2019. squeeze your loved ones. and do right by them by doing your part to ensure that the world is made safer for them. safer for all of us. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8/text https://everytownresearch.org/issue/better-background-checks/ https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-america/ https://momsdemandaction.org/events/
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