By: Bryan-Keyth Wilson
(Teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie and 14-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn were killed in a shooting at Apalachee High School on Wednesday.)
The halls of Apalachee High School are silent now, an eerie contrast to the chaos and terror that shattered the ordinary school day just yesterday. Desks remain empty, books lay scattered, and the echoes of gunshots still reverberate in the hearts of students, teachers, and parents. Another school shooting. Another round of “thoughts and prayers.” But those hollow words mean nothing to the families who will never see their loved ones again. They offer no comfort to the students whose innocence has been stolen by the sound of gunfire.
We are tired. Tired of the headlines that read like a script we know too well. Tired of the perfunctory statements of condolences from leaders who have the power to make real change but choose not to. "Thoughts and prayers" have become a cruel mantra, a way to abdicate responsibility while appearing compassionate. But let me be clear: thoughts and prayers without action are nothing but empty words. They do not bring back the dead, heal the wounded, or comfort the traumatized. They do not prevent the next shooting or make our schools safer. in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired."
I write this not as a detached observer but as someone who has seen the fear in the eyes of children who wonder if they’ll make it home from school. I write this for the parents who, every morning, send their kids off to what should be a safe place of learning, yet dread the possibility of a phone call that their child is not coming home. I write this for the teachers who have become frontline soldiers, forced to figure out how to protect their students from an armed intruder instead of focusing on education. This is not what school is supposed to be. This is not what childhood is supposed to be.
"Thoughts and prayers" have become a way for those in power to avoid taking meaningful action. It’s a placeholder, a placeholder for courage, for empathy, for leadership. And while they offer their thoughts and prayers, the rest of us live in fear, waiting for the next tragedy to strike. Because it will. And this is the reality: inaction is a choice. By doing nothing, our leaders have chosen to allow more children to die, more families to be broken, more communities to be shattered. This is the true definition of abortion after child birth!
The numbers are staggering: more than 300 school shootings in the U.S. since 2009. Over 1,000 victims of gun violence in schools—children, teachers, staff—dead or injured. And these numbers continue to climb. Our country stands alone in this horrifying epidemic. In nations with stricter gun laws—like Japan, the UK, and Australia—mass shootings are rare or nonexistent. Why is it that our children’s lives are less valued than the right to own a weapon of war?
This is not about politics; this is about the sanctity of life. The solutions are clear: universal background checks, bans on assault weapons, red flag laws that prevent those who pose a risk to themselves or others from owning guns. We need to invest in mental health services for students, for teachers, for anyone who has been affected by these tragedies. We need comprehensive school safety plans that do more than teach children how to hide under desks. We need action, not words. And yet, after every shooting, we hear the same tired arguments. That now is not the time to talk about gun control. That it is disrespectful to politicize a tragedy. But when is the right time? How many more children must die before it becomes acceptable to demand change? The truth is, those who preach patience are the ones who are comfortable with the status quo. The truth is, we cannot afford to be patient any longer.
Imagine being a child today. Imagine growing up in a world where active shooter drills are as common as fire drills. Where backpacks are bulletproof and schools are surrounded by fences and guards. Imagine living in constant fear that your classroom could become a crime scene. This is the emotional and psychological toll our children are paying for our leaders’ inaction. This is the trauma that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
We must demand more. We must demand better. We must vote for leaders who are willing to stand up to the gun lobby and pass common-sense gun legislation. We must support organizations that are on the frontlines, fighting to end gun violence and protect our children. We must hold accountable those who refuse to act while our children die. Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. They will never be enough. They are a poor substitute for the bravery and the resolve needed to save lives.
So, save your thoughts and prayers. We don’t need them. What we need is action. What we need is change. What we need is to finally say, “Enough is enough,” and mean it. We owe it to our children to create a world where they don’t have to live in fear. We owe it to ourselves to ensure that Apalachee High School is the last school where this happens. And we owe it to those we have already lost to make sure their deaths were not in vain. The time for thoughts and prayers is over. It’s time to act—before another child becomes a statistic.
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