By: Melina Farahmand

Founder of Past Present Future Co.

Author— From Dust to Breath: Finding Our Place in the Circle of Life

Executive Director of Guardians of Our Democracy.

On the 9th anniversary of the deadly and heartbreaking shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, we are reminded that America continues to fail to protect its children. After the tragedy that day, one would think that we would spring to action to ensure that it never happened again. Because we said 'never again, right? But that's not the case. According to Scarlett Lewis in a recent article by People Magazine on the anniversary of the shooting, "There have been more than 350 school shootings, 28 in this year alone" (People). Does it sound like we have made any progress? Not in the least. Children have since practiced more active shooter drills while Congress continues to play politics with their lives. We can debate the second amendment all day long, but the fact remains that we need to find common ground, a no-nonsense solution. The government claims to value these kids' lives, yet they have done virtually nothing productive and substantial to prevent them from dying. It feels like any reform proposal gets shut down without even so much as a proper conversation.

I vividly remember this day, and I think most of you do as well. Twenty children and six educators. You never forget that. I was only a few years older than these kids, and it is so heartbreaking to think that they should be in high school now, and they're not. We can and should be doing everything within our power to make sure no one ever dies in these types of situations. No child should be afraid of going to school because they fear someone may try to kill them with a gun. Everyone should be speaking up and contacting their representatives to push for reform. I also urge you to support Sandy Hook Promise: a national nonprofit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Based in Newtown, Connecticut, our intent is to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. By empowering youth to "know the signs" and uniting all people who value the protection of children, we can take meaningful actions in schools, homes, and communities to prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life.

Our kids deserve better, and we should be doing more to protect them. It does not matter whether you are a parent or not; we should all be doing our part to honor the lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We owe it to them to at least try.