PARKLAND, FLORIDA

I know I said I was going to get back on track today for my blog, but I am not finished talking about the school shooting that happened in Parkland, Florida. This shooting hit close to home for me. My husband was born and raised in South Florida and when we met, I moved to South Florida to be near him. We then lived in South Florida until 2009. I have family and friends in South Florida and when something happens down there, I fear for my family and friends.

I could not be prouder of the students who lived through this horrific event. They are standing up for what they believe in and they are planning events that will ripple across the country. So far, there are three events being planned and I plan on taking part in the local events here in Texas.

Here are the links to find local events for you to participate in. Please think about supporting these kids by taking part in local activities.

On March 14^th the Women’s March Youth Empower is holding an #ENOUGH National School Walkout across the country. At 10 am for 17 minutes in each time zone students are encouraged to walk out in protest of our government’s inaction other than to tweet thoughts and prayers. To find local activities, click this (LINK)

The students from Parkland, Florida are planning a March For Our Lives in Washington DC on March 24^th. If you cannot attend the march in Washington, again please look for a local march. Click this (LINK) for more information about the march.

On April 20^th there is a walkout centered around High School students, but students of other grades are welcome to participate. This walkout is being organized around a change.org petition. Click this (LINK) to learn more.

Speaking frankly, I think it really sucks that these children are having to bury their friends, teacher and football coach while they are fighting the government for gun legislation. Gun regulation is long overdue in the country. People in this country have a gun fetish that has become a real problem. When your first thought to a school shooting is fear that “libtards and Democrats” are coming for your guns, you are part of the problem in this country.

As a person who wants gun legislation, I am not trying to take your guns away. I believe in the 2^nd amendment, but your right to have guns shouldn’t mean life or death for kids in school. When I was in high school in the 1980s, I didn’t worry about being shot and killed walking down the hallway. I was worried about my grades, roller skating and meeting boys who didn’t go to my school.  I went to a school in Northwestern Pennsylvania that closed on the first day of deer season because so many kids were absent because they were hunting. People were hunting and it was food. It wasn’t just to shoot a deer, it was to put food on the table.

I was taught to handle a gun by my father. I took the hunter’s education course and took and passed the test. I dated a man in my early twenties who like to hunt and we had guns in our house, however, they were locked up at home if we were not using them to hunt or target practice. I no longer hunt because I do not eat meat and I have no use for a gun. I don’t even want one in the house for protection because if you have a gun for protection, you have to be prepared to kill another human being and I don’t think I could ever do that.

I am so disappointed by the men and women in our government. It is time to change. I want to see people in our government getting an F grade from the NRA. The NRA has bought our congressmen, senators and our president.

A few months after Donald Trump was elected president, he gave a speech to the NRA where he said, “you have a true friend and champion in the White House.” (LINK) In October of 2016, the NRA spent 6.5 million dollars on an ad buy to support Donald Trump for president. The NRA owns our president.

I believe that Donald Trump and the NRA are afraid of these kids who just want to survive going to school. They have an uphill battle but there are millions of Americans just like me who believe that we need gun legislation. Donald Trump is trying to turn this into the fault of the FBI, who I believe dropped the ball, but it just isn’t the FBI’s fault.

The school and the NRA are part of the blame too. The shooter was part of a rifle team at school and the school received a $10,827 grant from the National Rifle Association’s charitable group to start shooting clubs in schools. (LINK)

Students from the school say they knew the shooter was “gun crazy” and he even joked about shooting up the school, so why was this kid allowed to stay on a rifle team? Shouldn’t he have been removed? I am sure the students told faculty because there were reports made to the FBI concerning this student, so why was he allowed to hone his shooting skill at school?

There were too many factors that went into dropping the ball at this school and I want to help these kids be the last school shooting ever. I am going to march, write and do what I can to help. It’s time for kids to stop being killed by people who should never be allowed to have a gun in the first place.

We need to have background checks for every gun sold. We need to close the loopholes at gun shows. We need to have background checks made on private gun sales. What we do not need is to arm teachers. We need to protect our kids and if you think your guns are more valuable than kids lives, then you are part of the problem. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. People’s lives are worth so much more than a damn gun.

If you would like to donate to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victim fund, please click this (LINK)

Peace, Love & Kitty Snuggles,

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