Sandy Hook. Virginia Tech. Columbine. Stockton.
How many more school names shall we remember not for a list of graduates but for the number of children killed?
The answer should be clear – not one more school, not one more child.
In our schools, in our shopping centers and in all our communities, public safety trumps the right of anyone to have an assault weapon designed for the battlefield.
This is one of those defining moments that calls for our elected officials to look beyond polls and into the face of our children and keep them safe from harm.
More than 20 years ago, California State PTA called for the ban on assault weapons following the killings at an elementary school in Stockton.
A gunman opened fire with an AK 47 assault rifle on the playground of Cleveland Elementary School. Five children were killed and many others injured.
Today we renew that call.
California State PTA supports Senator Feinstein’s proposed legislation to stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.
We do not need more guns and ammunition on our school campuses. What we need, especially in California, is more counselors, and mental health services, and smaller class sizes and school nurses.
Let’s not escalate a gun culture. Let’s escalate our support for a safe and high-quality education for all children.
Editor's Note: Carol Kocivar of San Francisco is president of the California State PTA.
