This Memorial Day Let’s Us Pledge To Protect Kids in Schools From Sickos Like Him

Shootings at U.S. schools – On this Memorial Day we mourn not only our brave military, but those innocent children whose lives were taken out by an assault weapon in the hands of a sick and senseless young man inside what has become one of our country’s most vulnerable spots, our classrooms.

So, besides our fallen heroes, let us today also salute the parents and siblings of those 19 children and two teachers who gave their lives because our society can’t seem to keep guns out of wrong hands.

And next time something horrible like this happens, let us not wait almost an hour, but rush right in like commandoes, like United States Army Rangers would, like U.S. Navy Special Forces would, like U. S. Marines would, like any of our brave military would do to quickly neutralize an enemy, and not wait for reinforcements while an armed madman is inside a school full of children crying for help.

There are those who would rather see education delivered in Brinks armored trucks, and conducted in fortified, window-less buildings resembling large walk-in safes where children learn under lock down conditions, totally impregnable to those with mean streaks driven to shoot innocents, than do even the slightest background checks on second-amendment stalwarts exercising their inalienable right to bear arms.

Yes, I believe in that right too, but blended with some desperately needed common sense knowing that there are those not entitled to bear arms due to their mental states, their intense racial hatred or just plain lunacy.

In Uvalde, Texas, the slaughter of 19 elementary school students and two teachers is just the latest in a long list of mass shootings at U.S. schools.

That list just keeps on growing since the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado in 1999 when two teens went on a shooting spree, killing 12 students and a teacher and wounding more than 20 others. 

Then a total of 32 people were killed and 17 others wounded with two semiautomatic pistols at Virginia Tech University, where the killer chained the doors shut of a classroom building and opened fire.

Then there was Sandy Hook Elementary School, Dec. 14, 2012 — 26 dead

A 20-year-old shot and killed his mother at home in Newtown, Conn., then drove to the school, where he killed 20 students, all 6 and 7 years old, and six adults before killing himself.

Parkland, close to my home

A 19-year-old shot up his former Parkland, Fla., high school, killing 17 and injuring 17. He escaped in the chaos and was arrested several miles away and pleaded guilty on all counts in October 2021.

Santa Fe High School, May 18, 2018 — 10 dead

A 17-old killed eight students and two teachers and wounded 13 others before surrendering to police. He was found mentally unfit to stand trial in 2019 and remains in a mental hospital.

And the list goes on.

When do we do something about this, fellow Americans? 

Besides an inveterate blogger and a second amendment supporter, Tom Madden is an author of countless published articles and five books, including his latest, WORDSHINE MAN, available now on Amazon. He also creates TV series like his latest Xtra Terresla whose main character is modeled after Tesla founder Leon Musk, soon to own Twitter.

Madden is the founder and CEO of TransMedia Group, an award-winning public relations firm serving clients worldwide since 1981 and has conducted remarkably successful media campaigns and crisis management for America’s largest companies and organizations.