Regarding sympathizing with and being affected by what the kids at Parkland were experiencing the day of the shooting, it was heartbreaking, during that town hall last night, to hear the stories from the kids who had to grow up doing active shooter drills in their schools. I
never had that growing up. Even after Columbine, we didn't implement that at my schools. I
think my sister might've had a couple lockdown drills towards the end of her time in high school, but if so, that was all.
To think about the fact that children are learning this stuff from the time they're old enough to go to school is just
insane, and I truly can't believe we've just accepted that as the norm now in our country, instead of immediately decided, "Yeah, our children shouldn't have to think about or be taught how to hide from shooters at school."
And this idea that we need to essentially make our schools look like prisons with all this talk of metal detectors and guards and bulletproof windows and whatnot is equally as ridiculous. If some nutjob can't get a gun in the first place, you wont' NEED any of that stuff, geniuses. That's the whole point.
Here's the NRA score card for my state, one district...there is some pattern here
https://www.nrapvf.org/grades/Arizona/
I'd need to sign up to look up the grades for my state, but I do know the politicians in my state are very NRA-friendly in general. I am ITCHING for the chance to kick Ernst, Grassley, King (especially King, 'cause he is frightening on so many levels), and the like out of office at the first opportunity.