When you contrast it against the weapons themselves, there is something perverse in the perception that a ban on assault weapons is too extreme.

In 39 states, including Maine, this is the cognitive dissonance we are forced to endure. The level of protection afforded weapons becomes painfully obvious when, say, a treadmill is instantly recalled following a tragic accident involving a child; between 2015 and 2020, there were 765 child deaths from gun accidents, with no federal response or consumer safety regulation resulting.

Imagine how promptly bans might be enacted if teachers across this country organized and refused to enter schools for the 2024-2025 school year; refused to make themselves, their students and our nations’ children “soft targets” any longer?

No one chooses teaching in order to participate in “active shooter drills,” to discover how many could be killed in just 60 seconds, to determine whether they can conceal and blockade students in their classrooms, break windows to get them out, or learn how to support traumatized students post-massacre. To date, more than 378,000 students have experienced gun violence at school, with numbers increasing annually. It’s clear this is our new reality – that is, if we choose to just accept it.

Metal detectors, police presence and armed teachers are not the answers; these measures will only exacerbate the existing teacher shortage and profoundly damage school environments.

Second Amendment voters must stop pretending that the problem lies with mental health, for which they propose no actual practical solutions. Do they imagine we in America can be convinced that we are the only country with mental health issues? No, what we are is the only country with seemingly unfettered access to weapons of war.

Given the numbers of adults and children traumatized by gun violence, guns are a clear contributor to our mental health issues. In the case of assault-style weapons, the mere desire to own something designed to kill many people so rapidly ought to be a red flag. Where and when did we lose this perspective?

Imagine a nation-wide educator strike as the last line of defense for civility and safety.

Very likely, it would be blessedly brief. If the pandemic taught us anything, it taught us how crippling school shutdowns are. U.S. teachers are marginalized professionals, unlike in some developed countries where they are valued and respected as much as any doctor, lawyer or CEO, which (surprise, surprise) correlates with higher student achievement.

While sorely undervalued, our nations’ teachers united are in a position of power; power for betterment. If we truly want to make America great again, let’s all (educators, parents, community, faith and business leaders) demand a return to a country where students anticipate their futures, instead of the next gun massacre.