Back to School Fears

Going to school for me was always the best thing—I kept a countdown calendar leading up to the first day, and I still love shopping for school supplies. I’ll be honest, my biggest worry back then was whether or not I’d still be smart and continue to make A’s in my classes. Now, as a mother of three, the first day of school brings forth a very different fear. This year, instead of feeling anxiety about whether my kids will have a great semester, I worry about whether or not they will be killed while attending school. It is simply beyond comprehension that children in the United States have active shooter drills and we debate whether teachers should carry handguns. When I moved my daughter into college this past weekend, it struck me that all these kids starting a new chapter in their lives could experience horror inside buildings that should otherwise be safe, whether it be a dorm, a classroom, or a shopping mall.

My fear, sadly, is not new. It’s become ingrained. And it has become such a part of life in America that in two cities last week, people trampled others while fleeing at what sounded like gunfire. When I learned of three plots being foiled this weekend, I had for everything that came together to find these alleged suspects.

The very recent El Paso and Dayton mass attacks took the lives of the young and the old, leaving an infant without parents, spouses without their partners, parents without their children, and many without friends and family. In 2019 alone the number of mass shootings is more than I can count with the fingers on my hands. With each new episode, the story involves common elements: access to assault weapons, untreated or unrecognized mental illness, a sense of disenfranchisement, racial and ethnic discrimination, and a drive for vengeance or notoriety. Our safety can no longer be about scapegoating and shining light on reasons that don’t contribute to shootings. The reasons are clear.

I am an American. I value our political process, however imperfect at times. I vote. But I cannot understand how Americans continue to allow the influence and money of lobbyists to override common sense. The Second Amendment was penned in 1791. The writers could have never anticipated a country in which a young man would drive 600 miles in a day and kill and kill 22 people, wounding 24 more, and well beyond those numbers with emotional trauma. Our founding fathers never saw the words bump and stock written together. They lived in a world of muskets, not stockpiles of ammunition. I do not advocate for a country without guns. I advocate for a country in which the general public does not have access to weapons that our military and police forces use to protect us. I advocate for a country in which combat armor does not protect the violent. I advocate for a country with a set of rules that makes sense when limiting the purchase of guns, and hold accountable those who break the rules.

In the case of gun violence, limiting access is not enough. We must make concerted efforts to deliver mental health services for those who are marginalized and bullied at school, in their own homes, workplaces, or communities. We must piece together information and early warning signals, whether seen in person or through social media. In what world does a teenager need body armor? In a time when our own leaders attack Americans and their cities with rhetoric, how surprising is it that such messages are interpreted in a way that empowers violence?

America doesn’t need more discussion and debate on this issue. We do not need another news cycle of killings in a different city or school. Political photo ops and rhetoric after the fact do nothing. We need action. Other countries have figured this out, whether through prevention, recognition of warning signs, and limitations on access to the most dangerous firearms. This isn’t about a political win, left, right or center. It is about stepping outside of ideology and doing the right thing for the future of all of our citizens. It is about choosing and ensuring domestic tranquility. 

As the school year across the country begins, there is not a better time to create a culture of safety and well-being for kids and parents alike. Whether you’re a tiger mom, a helicopter dad, a well-seasoned parent, or are sending your kiddo to the first day of kindergarten, I’d offer the same advice I’m giving myself: don’t stay silent. Don’t let extreme beliefs rule common sense policies and actions. Speak for the kids who will never grow up. Do it now.

The opinions and positions expressed are my own and don’t necessarily re?ect those of Magellan Health, Inc.