CONGRESS, YOUR SILENCE ON GUNS IS KILLING US.

This morning, 8-10 have died another 12 injured as a result of a shooting at Texas’s Santa Fe High School. According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, most of the dead are students. Per The Washington Post’s school shooting database, Christopher Ingraham reported that “the Santa Fe Shooting would be the 16th this year, putting 2018 in a tie with 2014 for the highest number of school shootings since Columbine. It’s only May.” CNN reports that this is the 22nd school shooting this year. Congress has remained silent. National gun laws have not changed. Yes guns kill people, but so does Congress by staying silent on guns. Blood is on their hands.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas student David Hogg tweeted: “Get ready for two weeks of media coverage of politicians acting like they give a shit when in reality they just want to boost their approval ratings before midterms.” Based on previous school shootings, Hogg is probably right. Congressional members have already been tweeting their ‘thoughts and prayers’ but will there be any substantial legislation that makes it to the House or Senate floors?

What is particularly interesting, if you browse Twitter, is that the events at Santa Fe High School are not surprising to anyone. The devastation and the heartbreak that used to come with School Shootings has seemed to dissipate. Instead, we are either left feeling desensitized or angry.

We refuse to become desensitized. We refuse not to speak up. And we hope you feel the same. We hope you, too, have had enough. We’re pissed. We are pissed that more people aren’t pissed. We’re pissed that Congress refuses to do anything. None of this is normal. It will never be normal. Stop trying to pretend this is normal. And stop waiting for this to happen in your community before you get mad or decide to speak up.

A reporter asked a student who was in Santa Fe High school at the time of the shooting just hours ago, “Was there a part of you that was like, ‘this isn’t real, this would not happen at my school?’ She responded: “No…It’s been happening everywhere; I always kind of felt like eventually, it was going to happen here too.” No student should feel that a school shooting is bound to happen at their school. This isn’t normal.

Reporter: "Was there a part of you that was like, 'this isn't real, this would not happen in my school?'" Student: "No … it's been happening everywhere, I always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here too." pic.twitter.com/3SyckfreIPhttps://t.co/VZ3ZPllJWD — Talya Minsberg (@tminsberg) May 18, 2018

WHY ARE WE OKAY WITH THIS?

A month ago, @mukethemusical tweeted photos from the Student Walk Out at Santa Fe Texas High School. She held a sign with the hashtag: #NeverAgain. During Student Walk Out Da, @Mukethemusical and her fellow students made their voices heard. Unfortunately, not loud enough. We owe it to the Santa Fe, Texas community to make our voices heard. Enough is enough. How many more innocent people have to die before Congress acts? How many more times will Congress fail its constituents?

@schoolwalkoutUS Santa Fe High School. Santa Fe, Texas. #NeverAgain We read a poem by a parkland survivor, handed out gun violence fact sheets and orange ribbon, did 17 minutes of silence, and then talked about ways to raise awareness for gun violence, and make your voice heard. pic.twitter.com/UiIwVVw75q — ✨roger's girl✨ (@mukethemusical) April 20, 2018

How come no one listened to these students who participate in National School Walkout Day? How come we couldn’t be there for them and promise them that if they walked back into their classrooms that they would remain safe? Why aren’t we providing our kids’ safe communities? Haven’t we learned lessons from previous school shootings?

We have spent time since Parkland documenting the March for Our Lives movement. We suggest you read those posts: Will the Kids Be All Right? A New Generation Takes the Lead in America’s Gun Debate; March For Our Lives: We are going to be a great generation; and After March For Our Lives, They’re Not Going Away. We need to talk about the more. We need to have more discussions. The bloodshed needs to stop.

Please do yourself and every student killed in their schools a favor. Register to vote and register others to vote. If congress or state legislatures or governors won’t do something than it is on us to make sure we elect members who will. You can register here: REGISTER TO VOTE.

We wanted to post tweets from students who know what the Santa Fe students are going through and who are fighting to ensure more students do not have to go through this trauma and pain again. We will update as more come in.

To the students and faculty of Santa Fe High School, we are with you. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/3DYXOhmwsP — March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) May 18, 2018

At least 8 students have been shot and killed at Santa Fe High School. Prepare to watch the NRA boast about getting higher donations. Prepare to see students rise up and be called ‘civil terrorists’ and crisis actors. Prepare for the right-wing media to attack the survivors. — Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) May 18, 2018

I should be celebrating my last day of high school, but instead my heart is broken to hear of the tragedy at Santa Fe. We cannot let this continue to be the norm. We cannot. — Delaney Tarr (@delaneytarr) May 18, 2018

Hoping things get better. Hoping things can change. Don’t tell me that there isn’t a shooting problem in this country. The perpetuating gun violence we face is ridiculous. https://t.co/dHeXH5Fo9B — Alex Wind (@al3xw1nd) May 18, 2018

Santa Fe High, you didn’t deserve this. You deserve peace all your lives, not just after a tombstone saying that is put over you. You deserve more than Thoughts and Prayers, and after supporting us by walking out we will be there to support you by raising up your voices. — Emma González (@Emma4Change) May 18, 2018

Get ready for two weeks of media coverage of politicians acting like they give a shit when in reality they just want to boost their approval ratings before midterms. — David Hogg (@davidhogg111) May 18, 2018

This has been my fear since February 14th, that another mass casualty shooting would happen before we did anything. Now, we have 8 more children dead and our leadership in Washington has done nothing. We do not need thoughts and prayers, we need action and we need it now. — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 18, 2018

To everyone at Santa Fe high school ,I hope youre safe, I’m so sorry this is happening, and I’m so sorry that it continues to https://t.co/zLRbrizYiD one should be in the situation that youre all currently in. Im not going to say thoughts and prayers but instead policy and action — Sarah Chadwick (@Sarahchadwickk) May 18, 2018

Our children are being MURDERED and you’re treating this like a game. This is the 22nd school shooting just this year. DO SOMETHING. https://t.co/Lc1IWYGssE — Jaclyn Corin (@JaclynCorin) May 18, 2018

My heart is with everyone at Santa Fe High School. No student should have to fear for their life. No student should have to run from a shooter. No student should have to bury their friends. We are here for you. — Sofie Whitney (@sofiewhitney) May 18, 2018

We are sick of shooting after shooting after shooting. We. Need. Change. — Caspen (Cas) Becher (@casforachange) May 18, 2018

Welcome to America, where it's a regular occurrence for students to run for their lives due to an active shooter!! #LandOfTheFree https://t.co/zkO5jKECxs — john barnitt (@John_Barnitt) May 18, 2018