Rep. Rochester: It's Time for Congress to Act on School Shootings
“We’re children. You guys are the adults. You need to take some action and play a role,” Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Senior David Hogg told CNN in an interview about the school shooting he had just survived.
Those words have been replaying in my head over and over. A high school senior sharing his story of children trying to get an education and prepare for their future, instead of desperately trying to avoid being hit by bullets flying through classrooms, is telling lawmakers that it’s unacceptable and to take action to stop it.
Teachers, school administrators and school staff across the country are spending inservice days getting training and education on what to do in the event of an active shooter. They’re forced to decide between their lives or saving the lives of their students.
Their heroism has undoubtedly saved lives, but they should never have to make that decision.
Teachers, students, moms and dads across the country are begging us to take action. They’re begging us to give them some peace of mind so they no longer have to console students who are afraid that maybe next time, it will be their school.
Serving on the House Committee on Education and Workforce, I understand how important it is for students to have a safe learning environment. That’s why my Democratic colleagues and I have written a letter to Chairwoman Virginia Foxx to schedule hearings to examine what can be done to protect our children and ensure they are focused on their studies instead of dodging bullets.
Let me be clear, hearings aren’t the solution. They are, however, a step in the right direction and a mechanism for us to produce a solution.
Congress cannot stand by as a child being murdered in his or her school is normalized. It’s not normal, and we can do something about it.
Instead of condemning students, who just this week marched on Florida’s capitol, as pawns in some political game, we should be listening, learning, and standing alongside them. Maybe we won’t get the perfect solution, or the answer to every situation, but it’s about time we try for our kids, for our schools, and for our cities.
That’s why we cannot wait to hold hearings and debates on legislation that will help us take necessary steps to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
This has never been and isn’t now about taking away guns. This is about ensuring people get the mental health support they need.
We’re talking about limiting high capacity magazines, expanding background checks, and keeping guns out of the wrong hands. It’s about saying “no” to dangerous policies like the Concealed Carry Reciprocity that would force states to abide by some of the weakest gun laws in the nation.
It’s about putting an end to inaction and claims that “now isn’t the time.” We’ve wasted precious time in addressing these issues by prioritizing political capital and campaign donations over prevention and progress.
Our children’s lives are worth more than any NRA donation. We’ve got to honor our responsibility to them, not just with thoughts and prayers, but by bearing the weight of any opposition we may face and standing strong in our commitment to giving our kids a safe environment to learn and thrive.
It’s about being able to sleep at night knowing that we can look students like David Hogg in the eye because we’ve taken action, we’ve played a role in preventing another student, another teacher, another person from dying in vain.
It’s about saying, “no more.”