This should not be hanging in my soon-to-be-kindergartener’s classroom. pic.twitter.com/mWiJVdddpH
— Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 6, 2018
Sometimes, when a situation has been properly politicized — such as kneeling during the national anthem by players protesting racist institutions — we can forget about the very real human cost these issues bring. Guns are such an issue. Although we spend much of our time in media landscapes arguing over statistics to do with gun control versus how people like to use them for hunting or feeling safe, it can be easy to forget the statistics aren’t just numbers, and it’s not only those who survived shootings that are forever changed but our entire culture.
According to CNN, there have been 23 school shootings this year thus far, an average of one a week, and schools are now preparing their students to deal with this possibility with the regularity of a fire drill. One mother took a photograph of a heartbreaking poster in her future kindergartener’s classroom, showing a song for them to sing in order to remember what to do in the event of an active shooter on the premises.
Georgy Cohen wrote: “This should not be hanging in my soon-to-be-kindergartener’s classroom”, and the song on the poster says:
“Lockdown. Lockdown / Lock the door / Shut the lights off / Say no more / Go behind the desk and hide / Wait until it’s safe inside / Lockdown. Lockdown / It’s all done / Now it’s time to have some fun”.
The idea of five and six-year-olds having to learn how to deal with an active shooter before many of them know how to read or write has broken the Internet’s heart, and the responses to the tweet were uniform of shock. Georgy continues, explaining it as a situation that has been happening for a while, and how her daughter’s reaction to it is one almost used to this terrible reality.
Yeah. They already do the drills in pre K. Z was excited about it as a game to see if you can stay quiet for “one whole minute.” ????
— Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 6, 2018
ADVERTISEMENT
I am so sorry for all of you.????
.
Kids in Austria only know fire drills.
Which amount to a leisurely stroll to the school yard…
Thats how it should be— ????????Proud European from???????????????? ???? (@e2dot7182818284) June 6, 2018
that should not exist. That should not have to exist. In no other world power does such things exist.
— Tim Bend (@being_tim) June 7, 2018
Georgy ends by saying that the school is doing what it should, which makes it all the more tragic, and that if you don’t like this reality, to contact your Senator or Representatives. Below are some of the links to do so.
I’m only going to add one more comment to this: the school is doing exactly what they need to be doing, and I am glad for it. My issue is with the political & cultural factors that brought us to this sad state. Please talk to your legislators about the need for gun reform.
— Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 7, 2018
So I don’t have a SoundCloud but I, like most of you, have congressional representatives I can call to advocate for gun reform https://t.co/ivEa1qdnl2 Or we can support orgs like @Everytown and @SandyHook
— Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 7, 2018
What do you think of the situation? Will you be calling your Senator? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.
ADVERTISEMENT
