Today I am grateful for the organization Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.   This morning we heard of yet another shooting in a shopping mall in Columbia, Maryland.  A few days ago, Doug pointed out to me, while reading the New York Times online,  that there was another campus shooting that occurred, and it was the seventh headline down in the Times.  SEVENTH.  Six other stories were more urgent than a shooting on one of our college campuses.     What could be more urgent than the safety of our children? 

I remember having a conversation about a year ago with my kids that stunned me.  The Newtown shootings had just occurred and they told me they often worried about shootings. I had no idea. And from talking to them and other young people and parents I’ve come to find out that this fear is pretty common among children and young adults.  Because shootings in schools have been part of the landscape of our country throughout their childhood.  They have grown up with lockdown drills in school in case a shooter enters their building.  They are aware of where the exits are in pubic places in case they need to get out in a hurry.  We used to check  for the exits in case of fire.  Our kids check for the exits in case of a shooter. 

And now shopping malls have become the place for gunman to open fire.  Shopping — the great American pastime — has become a risky activity.  Opponents of gun control argue that gun control laws take away our freedom.  I think if you can’t attend school or spend an afternoon shopping without worrying about gun violence,  then we have already lost our freedom.

i am grateful for organizations like Mothers Demand Action because they work to keep the issue of gun violence in the national dialogue everyday.  Around the one year anniversary of the Newtown massacre, when many communities were planning a moment of silence to honor those lost, it was Moms Demand Action who had the courage to stand up and say that silence was the LAST thing we needed on a day like this.  There has been too  much silence around this issue.   If we really want to honor the children and teachers who lost their lives, we need to speak up and demand that our legislators stop the madness.

Since the Newtown massacre, there have been 36 school shootings in our country.  36 shootings.  Where is the outrage?  If you want to learn more about Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, click here .  I am grateful for their courage and their challenge to all of us to protect our children.