It’s been a month since the shooting at Apalachee High School. What emotions have you felt since then?
Perhaps, like me, you have gone through several stages. My first response was shock—a violent, senseless tragedy took place in the high school closest to the one my granddaughter attends. Sorrow quicky followed. The more I learned about the victims—Richard Aspinwall, Cristina Irimie, Mason Schermerhorn, and Christian Angulo—the more I understood what a loss the community suffered. The next weeks brought depression. Do we simply add Apalachee’s tragedy to the 400 mass shootings that have happened already this year? Is Apalachee destined to be just another statistic?
Underneath that depression lies anger. With sensible, effective legislation in place, there’s a good chance the shooting might never have happened. Most Georgia voters want stricter gun safety laws, but our elected representatives refuse to heed our wishes.
Let’s turn anger into action. Let’s raise our voices and make sure we are heard loud and clear. Two local groups, Moms Demand Action and Indivisible GA 10, are planning a peaceful rally on Sunday, October 6th at 5:00 at the historic Walton County Courthouse on S. Broad St., Monroe. Join us. Bring a homemade sign if you can. Let’s make sure our state legislators and federal representatives know we hold them responsible for defeating reasonable legislation that would end the senseless killing. Their negative votes have left a trail of tragedy.
Barbara Burt
Athens
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