In the wake of another school shooting, it’s easy to drop into the well-worn groove of helplessness. To watch from home the elected officials, with all of their power, delivering statements of thoughts and prayers, and restatements of their well-worn positions – either for gun control, or not.

After dropping my children at school this morning, I think about what I’d do with that kind of power. The power to grant paid leave to new families, or not. The power to protect our lands and oceans, or not. To give women the right to choose, or not. To feed babies, or not. To prevent boys from killing other boys, and girls, with military-style semiautomatic weapons, or not.

Nothing changes if we stay in those well-worn grooves. Parents know this. So we pull ourselves out of bed, enter back into this shaky world and remind ourselves of our power. Our power to teach our children consent. To show them that being human is messy and mistakes mean you’re trying. To model kindness, humility, global citizenship and forgiveness.

Parents, we are not powerless. This morning, in the wake of another school shooting, we have the power to fiercely and unapologetically love our children.

What are our elected officials, those with influence at the state, national and global level, going to do with their power today? Are they going to stop our children from being killed in their classrooms? Or not?

Kate McCarthy
Yarmouth

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