How are our military families effected by public school shootings?
“This happens NOWHERE else other than the United States of America –this epidemic of mass slaughter, this scourge of school shooting after school shooting…. We are responsible for a level of mass atrocity that happens in this country with ZERO parallel anywhere else. As a parent it scares me to death that this body doesn’t take seriously the safety of my children…” – Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy
My husband and I had been married for three years when we got our orders to Okinawa, Japan. One of the main things our military friends shared about the duty station is how SAFE it is there. They were right! I had never experienced such a calm feeling as I walked down the street at night (which is NOT something I would make a practice in the states). Many friends were so comfortable with letting their kids roam a little more freely. Yes, crimes did still occur, but they were few and far between.
Six years and two kids later, we are set to move back to the states. Our first though is how we’ll raise our kids in America. YES, we both grew up here ourselves, but you think about things differently when you have children to protect, especially after living in such a low-crime country.
We bought a gun and my husband took me to the range a few times. We researched areas of town to find which ones were the safest in proximity to good schools. Most importantly we wanted the peace of mind that they would be safe.
In 2017 Parkland was voted the safest city in the state of Florida.
As news stories continued Parkland Florida shooting this Valentine’s Day, many parents voiced their main reason for moving to the area: it had a safe reputation and great public school system.
According to a search on everytown.org, this is one of six high school shootings in 2018 alone; including college campus shootings, incidents without injury, and personal altercations involving a firearm.
So what effect does this have on military families in particular?
When we feel the government isn’t passing or supporting laws that protect our children, we consider what options we have ourselves!
Many families have chosen to stay overseas longer and let their children finish school. Some have even chosen to live out their retired lives in other countries. Simply put… WE DON’T CHOOSE AMERICA.
It’s not about patriotism. It’s about protection. It’s about peace of mind. It’s about LIFE!
A large population of military families do choose to come home to the states, but we miss that peace. We question our decision to return and contemplate going back. I’ve heard it too many times.
We are tired of the tears, the loss, the fear of losing a child, and the process of watching the country grieve so deeply. Our country.
Until the lawmakers in America CHOOSE to enforce decisions that will protect us, we will make extreme measures to CHOOSE our children’s safety over it all.
