((PKG)) PARENTS REACT TO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS
((TRT: 06:52))
((Topic Banner: Parents Seeking Change))
((Producer/Editor: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Vienna, Virginia))
((Main characters: 2 female; 1 male))
((NATS))
((Jairica Johnson, Parent of First and Second Graders))
19 students, two adults. I was physically sick.
((Sandip Nayak, Parent of Kindergartner and Fourth Grader))
My thoughts and prayers goes out to the parents and the society at large in that town. It’s a mix of sadness and also getting more afraid as time goes by.
((Karlie Sharma, Parent of Kindergartner and Toddler))
When you have children in school, when you have children and events and things where this type of thing happens, it just feels a lot more at home because you know, you now know how those parents are feeling.
((NATS: Karlie Sharma))
All right, let’s go. Got it?
((Karlie Sharma, Parent of Kindergartner and Toddler))
When I was sending Ash to school, it was, it's hard. I mean, it's hard because I know he needs to go to school. He needs to have that…he needs to have the exposure. He needs to have the education. But at the same time, it's the one time of day where I'm not in control of his situation. And that, I mean, we've seen it that can be the time of day that you, you lose your children. It's scary to send them to school now. I mean, that’s the way I feel at this point.
((NATS: Ashwin Sharma, Karlie’s Son))
When my nanny gets here, she gonna get us.
((Karlie Sharma, Parent of Kindergartner and Toddler))
I did end up hugging him tighter and hanging out with him more than I, both the night before, in the morning, you know, after.
((NATS))
((Sandip Nayak, Parent of Kindergartner and Fourth Grader))
With increasing violence because of gun shootings, if that keeps getting worse and worsening with time, I have to think about safety for my kids while going to school.
((NATS: Avant Nayak, Sandip’s Son))
Can I try this now?
((Jairica Johnson, Parent of First and Second Graders))
The next day, of course, I was very teary, you know, sending them off, you know, to go to school with their dad to get to the school bus. And then just, really just wanting to wrap my arms around them and tell them, have a good day. And we, I, we have this fear now or we always have. But it’s always, I guess, heightened when something like this happens. We send our kids to school, are they going to come back?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Sandip Nayak, Parent of Kindergartner and Fourth Grader))
I’ve been here 20 plus years and by all means, America is still very attractive and I’m happy to be an American. But there has been little cracks in some of the dimensions of the Americanness, the very idea of Americanness and one of them is the freedom and the connection to the responsibility and that needs to be addressed. I think if we cannot protect our kids, make them feel safer, that’s not what America should be known for in this dimension.
((NATS))
((Karlie Sharma, Parent of Kindergartner and Toddler))
I feel helpless. I feel like there's nothing that can be done. I mean, it doesn't matter what. It doesn't matter what events occur essentially in this country. It doesn't seem to change the gun culture. It doesn't seem to change the mentality that we have, everyone should have a right to a weapon. I don't understand, at the very least, why we can't have something along the lines of stronger background checks or a countrywide registry system for weapons or some sort of restriction on semi-automatic weapons, things like that. I don't understand how that’s something we can't seem to get accomplished because in my mind it preserves the rights of the Second Amendment, if that's something that you're very passionate about. But it also prevents this type of massacre occurring.
((NATS))
((Jairica Johnson, Parent of First and Second Graders))
These things that happen because of hate we've had. What happened in Buffalo, motivated by hate, prejudice. Basically, it just makes you feel like you’re not safe. We could do simple things. We don't have to take guns away from people in general. We can do the screening for mental health. We can raise the age. We cannot have them have access to semi-automatic weapons. We need to do something. Right now, it's a big story. Next week, maybe. The week after that, I don't, I don’t think so.
((NATS))
((Sandip Nayak, Parent of Kindergartner and Fourth Grader))
There has been an attack on the very fabric of the notion of freedom which has been taken too far, which all can be solved if we all can come together and do the right things as a community, show leadership and uniting the people. I think raising the minimum age of gun ownership from 18 to 21. If buying a cigarette, case of cigarette is 21, the guns has to be at least 21 because the same argument applies.
((NATS))
((Karlie Sharma, Parent of Kindergartner and Toddler))
We have a very high percentage of gun violence compared to everyone else in the world. And I'm just, that really to me indicates a systemic issue. We can't, I don't know that it's necessarily the answer to continue to fortify schools or fortify businesses or anyone else who feels that they might be a target. I feel the answer is to address the problem, not the symptoms. And it's just, I just, I can't. I don't understand why other people cannot see that.
((NATS))
((Jairica Johnson, Parent of First and Second Graders))
I'm actually angry about it. The five stages of grief: hopelessness, sadness, despair, bargaining, anger. And I am angry. That six and eight year old, who are innocent, who love life, who want to go to school and play with their friends. And that is their safe place. And these guns are jeopardizing, literally jeopardizing their futures. And it's not hard. It's not hard what we're asking. None of it is hard. It is simple. We could do this tomorrow if we just had the courage.
((NATS))