لنستخرج كنوزا من المعرفة و الإبداع و العلم و الأفكار
After my beautiful butterfly Dylan was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, I spent every waking hour working to expand background checks. I felt so empty, so lost—but this work gave me focus and purpose. I had to make sure my baby boy didn't die in vain, that his short life would be remembered by my helping others live.
I spent weeks talking with dozens of lawmakers—Republicans and Democrats— who were still undecided, or said they would vote "no" on background checks. I brought pictures of Dylan to leave with the Senators, to give a face to the numbers of those that die by gun violence every year. We didn't lose statistics; we lost people. We lost our children.
It was still so early after Dylan's death and I found it difficult to grieve publicly while taking action to prevent other tragedies. I recall walking down the pathways in and under the Senate buildings, trailing my fingers along the walls to see if what I was experiencing was real, or part of my horrible waking nightmare.
When the vote failed in April 2013, I experienced a different kind of grief.
As former President Barack Obama hugged me in the Rose Garden, I felt the sadness and exhaustion completely overwhelm me. I felt I had failed Dylan and our country. I didn't want to let go; I needed hope, strength, something to lean on and believe in, because at the moment it was no longer in me. I believe he sensed it, as he leaned in and held me tighter.
That day was awful. But I refused to give up. Not a day goes by that I don't think about Dylan, kiss the urn that holds his ashes, and imagine what his future would have held. It's his memory that gives me the strength to continue.
For the past eight years, I've returned to Congress, urging lawmakers to pass this life-saving legislation that more than 97 percent of Americans—including gun owners—support. Background checks would not have saved my son, but that doesn't make them less meaningful. They are proven to save lives.
At long last, hope is again in sight: The Universal Background Checks bill just reintroduced has bipartisan support. This is the moment we've been working toward. But we need to work harder than ever, to ensure the passage of this life-changing legislation. I made a promise to my son after his murder I intend to keep.
Despite the pandemic, gun deaths have hit historic levels, and more than 300,000 guns have been purchased without a background check. There are thousands of children in the past eight years who would still be with us today if only this legislation had become law.
We must act now before more children die, whether at school, home or in their community. Since the failure to pass Universal Background Checks, death by firearms has become the number one cause of death of children and young adults.
Is this really what we want?
Those weeks I spent lobbying Senators to pass this bill weren't easy. I had Senators cry in front of me. And there were others who outright said they didn't know anything about the bill, even though it was talked about every day.
The time for excuses is over. More children are dying today from guns than ever before. It's imperative that we finally pass this common-sense legislation to prevent future tragedies. We need to stop the senseless killing of our children.
When Universal Background Checks failed eight years ago, I felt disappointed for our country. I was angry that a loophole couldn't be closed that would make it harder for people to buy guns who can't legally. But I am still incredibly motivated. I will not fail Dylan again.
As a country filled with parents, grandparents, and caring adults, we can no longer fail our children. I'm urging you to do everything you can to ensure that this legislation finally becomes law. Talk to your friends, your relatives, your neighbors. Most importantly, reach out to your lawmakers and write letters to your local newspapers.
And don't just do this for Dylan, or the thousands of other children who needlessly die from gun violence every year. Do it for the thousands of children whose lives can be saved. For the children in your life, and for the violence-free future, they deserve.
Nicole Hockley is co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing shootings, violence, and other harmful acts in schools through evidence-based "Know the Signs" programs and bi-partisan state and federal policy.
The views in this article are the writer's own.
