By: Jasmine Gates
Changing Our Narrative
When I first saw the Sandy Hook Promise, Back to School Essentials video, I tried to decide on whether I agreed with it or not.
My initial stand was against it, it didn’t sit well with me at all. However, After some dialogue and giving the video a few more looks, I became more and more confused on the emotions it was evoking for myself.
I read the comments and post of some people I respect and I still could not gage where I personally stood.
I came to the conclusion that the video was tough to digest because it is simply a reflection of our country and it is weird for me to watch because the reality of America is an unbelievable state.
As an educator, the fact that a video of students using their “back to school essentials” to literally escape from being killed or save the lives of their peers, is a real life possibility, is mind blowing. The even more mind-blowing part is that within the past 20 years almost 230,000 students have actually lived through that mind blowing tragedy.
It is unreal that these students have to obtain a more mature mindset in being prepared for the worst. While the immature traits lie within our lawmakers who refuse to propose or even vote on stricter gun laws because they fear the Trayvon Martins of the world when in actuality it is the ones that resemble their sons that are the murders in these school mass shootings.
All in all, America the not so beautiful is sacrificing the safety of our students because they fail to address the fact that American soil produced these Terrorist. And if the soil is malfunctioning now, that means the foundation laid in 1776 was off from the start.
So as I reflect even more, the only feeling I know I recognize, for a fact, is pure disappointment. Our children deserve better and we as citizens of this country deserve better.
The problem is, America doesn’t know better.
