Message from National PTA: Ways You Can Take Action On Gun Violence And Resources to Care for Your Mental Health

The mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday [May 24, 2022] is the deadliest school shooting since 2012, when 26 children and adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Our association has challenged Congress over and over again to address this issue. Parents are scared to send their children to school, teachers are worried about how to protect their students, and our children are now singing new lyrics to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star:  "Lockdown, lockdown, Lock the door, Shut the lights off, Say no more, Go behind the desk and hide, Wait until it's safe inside."

We are, as civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer once said, sick and tired of being sick and tired. But we are not going to go numb. PTA has been the conscience of this country on issues affecting children and youth for over 125 years, and we're never going to stop advocating for every child with one united voice.

We urge you to join us in demanding change—and to take care of yourself and your family, too.

Ways to Take Action on Gun Violence

1. Contact Your Members of Congress: Use our VoterVoice system to send an urgent message to your members of Congress today to insist they work across the aisle to pass sensible gun safety and violence prevention policies that ensure our children are protected from harm. Start now.

2. Use Our Gun Violence Prevention Policy Brief: PTA is all about the power of collective action: We can do anything together, because we can be everywhere at once. Use our policy brief on gun safety and violence prevention to demand change in your community.

3. Join Us on Capitol Hill June 14-15: PTA advocates from across the country are heading to Capitol Hill to meet in-person with their members of Congress and advocate for the health & safety of every child during the National PTA 125th Anniversary Convention. Will you join us?

Resources on Mental Health, Grief and Loss 

1. Healthy Minds: PTA believes that mental health should be an everyday priority, but it becomes even more important in crisis. So, we've created tips and resources for families at any stage of the journey, including grief and loss.

2. Managing Stress: Our friends at the American Psychological Association have resources to address the aftermath of a mass shooting, including ways to help children manage distress and ways to manage your own distress. Please use and share them!

3. Addressing Trauma: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has resources including a "Psychological First Aid Kit for Schools" and "Grief Tips for Caregivers." Please use and share them!

Message from the President of the NC PTA, Francelia Burwell

For far too long, children have been taken from us because of unexplainable and senseless violence. Every time, we witness in horror as firearms are again used to cause catastrophic devastation, loss, and trauma to our families and our communities. No parent should lose a child to gun violence and no parent should fear for the safety of their child once they leave home. School must be a safe and welcoming place for every child, and we will fight to make sure that is so. If we can't protect our children from gun violence, how can we help them reach their full potential? 

The time is long overdue for Congress to adopt measures that ensure our children are protected from harm and support schools in their efforts to create safe and welcoming spaces for every child. It's time we come together and immediately enact real solutions to save lives and make our schools and communities safer. 

Contact your Members of Congress today to insist they work across the aisle to pass sensible gun safety and violence prevention policies that ensure our children are protected from harm. We are well beyond enough is enough and it is past time to take action to protect the lives of our children and families.