With one day left in the 2021-22 school year, SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams planned to write a letter to parents thanking them “for support and patience through what has been a difficult, pandemic-riddled two semesters.”
His topic changed in the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas elementary school shootings that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
“I have not encountered a single person today whose heart isn’t breaking for those families,” he wrote.
“As parents, teachers, and educators, every one of us feels the pain of
these senseless killings through our shared sense of empathy surrounding all things involving children. Adams assured parents the district has been extra vigilant when it comes to the safety and security measures we employ every day.”
“We are somewhat unique compared to other districts because we employ our own security force of well over 100 officers. While some districts have
to call on local police for extra coverage, we are already staffed to maintain the presence needed at our buildings. Your children are under caring and watchful eyes.”
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones joined other elected officials in condemning the horrific act of an18-year-old shooter, and the easy availability of guns.
“The guns flooding our streets – from Buffalo to St. Louis to Uvalde – are taking their dreadful toll on communities across the country. We’re long overdue for federal action to EndGunViolence in our communities,” she wrote in a statement released on Twitter. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver
[D-Kansas City] said in a statement, “Lord, please forgive us and give us the courage to address gun violence.”
“I’m heartbroken. I’m distraught. I’m enraged that we have made the conscious decision as a nation to allow these awful tragedies to continue—and our kids are paying the price.”
On May 19, just days after 10 African Americans were killed by a racist gunman in a Buffalo, New York grocery store, and five days before the
Texas tragedy, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act. It would require individuals to obtain a firearm license from the Department of Justice (DOJ) before purchasing or receiving a firearm.
“In our nation, gun violence has become eerily routine, and we’ve done little to stop the horrific mass shootings that devastate the lives of victims and their loved ones,” said Sen. Booker.
“Accepting this shameful status quo will continue to lead
to deadly consequences. We need to adopt proven, common-sense measures that will address the scourge of gun violence and make our communities safer. This bill moves us in the right direction and is based on a simple concept – if you need a license to drive a car, you should need one to buy and possess a gun.
“Firearm licensing laws have broad public support and have been shown to reduce gun violence in states that have enacted them, including in my
home state of New Jersey. This is the moment to enact ambitious legislation – as a nation, we must rise to it, or we are fated to witness years past over again.”
The Firearms Act would require: Certification that the individual completed firearm safety training, which must include a written test and hands-on training to ensure safe use and accuracy.
-
Completion of a criminal history background check.
-
Submission of fingerprints, proof of identity, and verification that the individual is at least 21 years old.
The federal firearm license must be renewed every five years at which point the applicant will have to go through a background check and undergo firearm safety training again.
The bill contains a mechanism for the DOJ to revoke the license if the individual poses a danger to themselves or to others. It would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation to regularly conduct checks to ensure that individuals follow federal license requirements and keeps in place requirements that all people purchasing firearms from a federal firearms licensee undergo a background check.
“It’s time to turn this pain into action for every parent and every citizen of this country. We have to make it clear to every elected official in this country that it’s time to act. It’s time for those who obstructed the way, who have blocked the common-sense gun laws, to know we will not forget,” President Biden said Tuesday night
“I am sick and tired of it. We have to act, and don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on this carnage.”
As for Adams, the summer brings a close to the school year. But the memories of the past two years and Tuesday’s tragedy will stay with him and SLPS parents and staff.
“This has been a school year filled with hard conversations and difficult challenges for all of us. We’ve weathered another year of pandemic. We’ve endured a rash of gun violence inflicted upon children in our own community. We’ve faced unprecedented transportation issues that have created hardship for many. Now we have this act of madness to explain to our children,” he wrote.
