Watch: This ‘back to school’ video is a chilling reminder of shootings in America’s schools
A reminder of a grim reality from advocacy group Sandy Hook Promise.
Survive the school year with these must-have #BackToSchool essentials. https://t.co/9KgxAQ0KGz
— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) September 18, 2019
This PSA contains graphic content related to school shootings & may be upsetting to some viewers. If you feel this subject matter may be difficult for you, you may choose not to watch. pic.twitter.com/5ijYMtXRTy
A new public service advertisement from the American school safety advocacy group Sandy Hook Promise is a chilling reminder of the heartbreaking brutality of school shootings.
Titled Back-To-School Essentials, the advertisement shows students excited to resume school after summer break with their new supplies – colour pencils, socks, sneakers and skateboards. Except, it turns out, they come in handy in an entirely different situation.
In December 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people in the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The US government swore Sandy Hook would be the last.
Yet, since Sandy Hook, there have been 2,226 mass shootings, says this Vox report.
As one anguished Twitter user asked, “Where does it end? Does someone have to bomb our schools before we wake up and say no more?”
Really America? WTF? NO MORE ARs or AKs! The founding fathers did not know about these types of weapons! WHERE DOES IT END? Does someone have to bomb our schools before we wake up and say NO MORE!?
— Susan Harris (@lovesdogs01) September 18, 2019
Jesus Christ! I'm Scottish. We've had one school mass shooting, 23 years ago. 16 5 &6 yr olds were killed, along with their teacher. As a result private ownership of handguns was banned. It was that simple. That this film is necessary disgusts me.
— Jacquie Hahn (@shroommuse) September 18, 2019
That girl at the end needs the PSA version of an Oscar.
— Whiskey and Cupcakes 🥃🧁 (@CupcakesWhiskey) September 18, 2019
Other narrated experiences of “active shooter training drills” – an exercise that is actually conducted, and repeated in schools across the US.
My daughter’s school held a surprise drill yesterday. They believed it to be real. She was hiding in a closet in the choir room. Her friend, alone in a bathroom, was texting her that he was hiding but that a man had come in & opened the stall door next to him. This has to stop.
— Dawn (@rundawnrun) September 18, 2019
During active shooter drills my 11-year-old was told that the boys should, "line up in front of the girls" in order to "protect them." My 8-year-old that they should throw "books and trash cans" at a shooter, and "run in circles" to distract them. We are traumatizing generations.
— S (@Yes_Its_Me_S) September 18, 2019
However, many Americans, including President Donald Trump, continue to believe that the only way to stop school shootings is to arm more people. In February 2018, as a matter of fact, Trump advocated giving guns to teachers to stop such incidents.
Those who subscribe to this school of thought dismissed the campaign as propaganda.
There are appx 133,000 schools in the US. There were 23 school shootings last year.
— Bob Slydell (@bobslydell_) September 18, 2019
So there is a 0.000096% chance a school will have a shooting on a given day.
Let’s stop scaring our kids over something that has virtually no chance of happening.@sandyhook