To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
The Movement For Violence Free Schools
All schools should be safe from violence, especially gun violence. Educators, parents, and students on all levels from pre-school through college and university are entitled to learn in a violence free environments.
Why is this important?
In January 1989, a man named Patrick Purdy, who was in the lingo of social work, a throwaway kid, opened fire on the school yard at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. When I heard this horrific news, I remember thinking, the shooter probably attended that school as a child. I was horrified to learn I was correct. We have to stop this epidemic of school-based violence. We can start with better mental health services for children and adolescents. We can continue by limiting access to guns and munitions. And we can make safe schools a priority and appropriate mental health services a right to necessary medical care regardless of social status or income.