Our children deserve more than thoughts and prayers
A statement from Stacy Davis Gates, President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union, on the recent school shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon:
“Our young people deserve so much better than this. They deserve safe, welcoming and thriving school communities. They deserve to grow up in neighborhoods free from gun violence and the trauma it leaves behind. They deserve to walk into their classrooms without fearing that their classmates, teachers or the adults they trust will be gunned down.
"Our hearts are with the entire educational community in Bend, Oregon, as they mourn the loss of their own and struggle to make sense of an unimaginable tragedy.
"Sadly, far too many educators and families right here in Illinois know the pain of gun violence firsthand. In moments like these, we understand just how powerful solidarity can be. We stand with the educators in Bend who must now grieve their students and colleagues while somehow finding the strength to return to their classrooms and comfort the young people in their care.
"We also stand in solidarity with the nurses, healthcare professionals and first responders working tirelessly to heal the physical and emotional wounds laid bare by this tragedy. Their work reminds us that the consequences of gun violence extend far beyond the moment the shooting stops.
"With less than three weeks until the midterm elections, this tragedy is another painful reminder that the safety of our children and educators must remain a national priority. Our children deserve more than thoughts and prayers. They deserve safe classrooms, thriving communities and meaningful action to prevent gun violence.”
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