Dear Congress, How many more DEAD CHILDREN, PHYSICALLY SCARRED CHILDREN, EMOTIONALLY SCARRED CHILDREN is it going to take before you realize that our existing legislation on gun control and public safety is ENTIRELY inadequate and ineffective? What, do the dead kids not matter to you so long as they’re not yours? Today, 3,000+ students AS WELL AS countless faculty, staff, and family members' lives were forever altered by a shooting in Florida. At least FIFTEEN lives abruptly severed. This is all due to gun violence. This is the 18th mass shooting THIS YEAR and it's ONLY FEBRUARY. As a teacher, I wonder every time a school shooting happens whether the next time it's going to be at my school. If it'll be MY students in the line of fire, or worse, in a goddamn body bag. Every shooting sickens and saddens and infuriates me because we get the same newscast, the same interviews, the same fear, and the same useless fucking prayers and yet there is NEVER any legislative change. Instead we ask if the shooter was mentally ill, if the school sent text alerts, if the school practiced drills...but when the hell are you going to do more then give your condolences and prayers? When are you going to do more than say "this is awful" and "you're in our thoughts"? We need change. We need it NOW.