Showing posts with label Uvalde Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uvalde Texas. Show all posts

Monday, June 13, 2022

"Blood on Your Hands", a plea to the United States Congress to act on gun violence

Hello, my name is George L. Cook III. I wrote this poem, "Blood on Your Hands" in response to the shooting in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. I am begging the United States Congress to actually do something about gun violence in this country, and thoughts and prayers is not what I want. Watch me recite the poem in the video below.

This poem is in my new poetry book, The Blood Is On Your Hands Poems About Gun Violence available now on Amazon.

Purchase the book on Amazon:

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Monday, May 30, 2022

Rep. Val Demings on gun control and investigating the police response in Uvalde Texas

In the wake of two mass shootings this month, former Police Chief of the Orlando Police Department, U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida said there are two pieces of gun control legislation that have broad support. Demings also said that she wants an investigation into local and federal authorities’ initial response to the shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Wach her interview on the CBS news program Face the Nation:

Thursday, May 26, 2022

NEA President rejects call to arm teachers in wake of school massacre in Uvalde, Texas

Training teachers to carry firearms in schools has often been proposed as a deterrent to would-be mass shooters targeting schoolchildren, but the leadership of the National Education association opposes the idea.

NEA President Becky Pringle released the following statement on arming teachers:

Our public schools should be the safest places for students and educators, yet the gunshots from a lone shooter armed with a military-grade weapon shattered the physical safety of the school community in Uvalde, Texas. The powerful gun lobby and their allies did not waste a second after the horrific killing of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School to call for arming teachers. Bringing more guns into schools makes schools more dangerous and does nothing to shield our students and educators from gun violence. We need fewer guns in schools, not more. Teachers should be teaching, not acting as armed security guards.

“We need common-sense solutions now. Schools need more mental health professionals, not pistols; teachers need more resources, not revolvers. Arming teachers makes schools more dangerous and does nothing to protect students and their families when they go off to school, shop at the grocery store, attend church services, ride the subway, or simply walk down the streets of their neighborhoods. Those lawmakers pushing to arm teachers and fortify school buildings are simply trying to distract us from their failure to prevent another mass shooting.    

“Educators and parents overwhelmingly reject the idea of arming school staff. Rather than arming educators with guns, we need to be giving them the tools needed to inspire their students. Rather than putting the responsibility on individual teachers, our elected leaders need to pass laws that protect children from gun violence and bring an end to senseless and preventable killings. Americans want the carnage to stop. My message to Congress: What are you going to do?

Amanda Gorman writes poem in response to school shooting in Uvalde, Texas

In the wake of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas poet Amanda Gorman tweeted out a poem that points out the reality of gun violence in America.