Jailah Silguero did not want to go to school on Wednesday, May 24. This was unusual, her parents later said. Jailah loved school. Despite her reluctance, Jailah was dropped off at school by her mother that morning. She never came home. Just 10 years old, Jailah was killed in her classroom by an 18-year-old murderer wielding an assault rifle.
It was the last week of the school year. Why did Jailah want to stay home? Did she have some sense of foreboding? It’s hard to believe in such a thing, but oh, how I wish Jailah’s mother had relented and given in to Jailah’s wish. I imagine her parents are tortured every day since with that same wish.
A friend and I had a recent conversation with topics ranging from the January 6 hearings, the recent Supreme Court decisions, gas prices, the upcoming elections. I expressed my sadness that the Uvalde shooting was already forgotten by so many, its headlines having been replaced by so many other pertinent issues. My friend shrugged. There’s nothing to be done about it, she seemed to say, concluding, “There’s just too much money in the gun industry.”
I refuse to accept that as the end of the story, because we all know it will not be the end. There will be more mass shootings, more school tragedies, more innocent lives ripped from their families because someone with a heart full of hate was able to purchase a weapon intended only for the battlefield.
A nation that cannot protect its children is a nation that has lost its soul. Is this the United States now? Do we really care only for money and power? I know the answer for some is yes but I do not believe it is true for the majority. I still believe most Americans simply want to live meaningful lives, surrounded by the love of family and friends. I believe most Americans cherish their children and would do anything to keep them safe.
What will it take to move those who have the power to make change? I don’t know for sure, but I suspect part of the answer lies where it always has: in numbers. We need a powerful wave to roll through, to wash over those who currently won’t listen. We need to raise our voices, let them know how many of us are out here.
If you agree, keep pushing. Write letters, emails, posts. Follow and support those leaders who are pushing for sensible gun reform legislation. Show up. And each time the headlines blast another horrific event, after the shock and grief, roll up your sleeves and continue on.
Doing nothing is not an option.
Powerful. I hear the gun safety drumbeat sounding. Like a pulse saying “stop the violence.”